


Homecoming

by juniperphoenix



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo
Genre: Cryogenics, Ensemble Cast, Episode Related, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1997-07-08
Updated: 1997-07-08
Packaged: 2017-10-02 01:23:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juniperphoenix/pseuds/juniperphoenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Billy takes desperate measures to save himself when his ship is attacked on the way home from Aquitar, and Rangers past and present must come together to effect a rescue. An alternative to the episode "Mr. Billy's Wild Ride."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilot Light

**Author's Note:**

> "Homecoming" was begun immediately after the first airing of "Graduation Blues" and was completed on July 8, 1997. Thanks to Rachel Herndon for encouragement and to Kittie for hosting this story on the Fanfic Shoppe for so many years.

A dozen warning bells were demanding Billy's attention. Only one concerned him, though: life support. The starship was losing oxygen at an alarming rate. For what seemed like the hundredth time, he tried to send a distress call. "Mayday! Mayday! This is Billy calling the Power Chamber. Please come in!"

The communicator responded with static.

"Too much interference," Billy muttered. "_Nothing_ on this ship is working."

At least the enemy ships were withdrawing. Billy watched through the viewscreen as the squadron of Quadrafighters that had been attacking him ceased fire and headed back to the Moon.

"They probably figure I'm done for," he said to himself. _And they're probably right. At the rate this ship is leaking oxygen, I haven't got much time._

Suddenly, Billy caught a glimpse of Earth on the viewscreen… his home, so close yet so far away. He thought of his family and friends there below him, and was suddenly afraid.

_Will I ever see them again?_ he wondered. Staring at the planet below, he suddenly felt like crying, or hiding, or running as far away as he could. Instinctively, he reached inside himself, searching for the quiet place he needed to quell his fears.

There was something there.

"That's impossible!" he breathed, for he recognized it instantly. After nearly three years of relying on its constant presence, he would know it anywhere.

It was the Power.

_How can that be?_ he wondered. _My Power Coin was destroyed, and I don't even have a Zeo Crystal. How can I still have the Power?_

Nonetheless, it was there, a tiny blue flame burning in the depths of his soul. Blue… even though that cherished color now belonged to someone else. It glowed steadily, burning within him like the pilot light of a stove.

_If the pilot light is allowed to go out, the stove is done for,_ Billy reflected. It was an apt analogy, but not one that he found comforting.

The blue flame, though, seemed unafraid, and Billy drew his strength from it. It never wavered, never flickered, never dimmed. It was just as he had remembered it. Not too long ago, all it had taken was a word and a coin to fan that tiny flame into an inferno, filling him with the energy of the Blue Ranger. Those times were past… but the Power was still there.

"I can't give up," said Billy with sudden resolve. "I've got to do whatever it takes. I have to keep that Power alive."

He began a systematic check of the ship, considering his options. The remaining oxygen would only last for about an hour, and the ship was losing more all the time. There was no way to repair the leak.

"Maybe there's still time to land," he said to himself. One look at the damage readouts put an end to that idea. Even if the propulsion systems had been working, the ship's shielding was too badly damaged to survive reentry.

"Isn't there _anything_ I can use?" Billy exclaimed in frustration as he searched the rear of the ship. Then, he found it: an oblong escape pod, just large enough for one person. Billy checked it over eagerly. It had obviously been built with reentry in mind: the pod was streamlined and had plenty of heat shielding. What it didn't have was life support.

"Why would anyone construct an escape pod without life support?" he demanded angrily of no one in particular. "What would be the point?"

_Water,_ he realized. The Aquitians didn't need oxygen, they needed water. The pod was probably designed to automatically fill with water before launching, enabling an Aquitian to survive for an extended period without additional life support. It was, Billy thought, an extremely practical system. Unfortunately, as a human, it wouldn't do him much good.

Billy sat down on the deck, sighing heavily. He was out of options. The dying starship had little to offer, and he was just too tired and scared to come up with any more ideas.

_If only I had gotten a message through,_ he thought sadly. _I wonder if the others even know I'm up here._ He pictured his friends on the Earth below: Tommy, Adam, Katherine, Rocky, Tanya… and those who were no longer in Angel Grove: Aisha, Kimberly, Zack, Jason, and Trini. He wondered where they were at that moment, and what they were doing. He thought about everything they'd been through together… not just as Rangers, but as friends. Every little, insignificant moment stood out in his mind. He saw himself working in his lab with Adam… practicing martial arts with Tommy and Jason… reading science magazines with Trini…

Suddenly, he recalled one of the articles they had once read. It had been about cryogenics and people who had their bodies frozen for later revival. Billy didn't believe that the dead could actually be brought back to life, but the process had intrigued him at the time.

Thinking of the article reminded him of something else, a TV show he had seen recently about "medical miracles." The featured "miracle" had been a child who was revived after several hours in a near-freezing lake. The extreme cold had slowed down his metabolic functions, Billy recalled, and allowed him to survive without oxygen.

The memories gave Billy a glimmer of an idea. If he could put himself into some kind of suspended animation… _freeze_ himself… the lack of life support wouldn't be a problem. He could use the ship's escape pod without having to worry about warmth or oxygen. Unfortunately, though, there was nothing on board that even came close to cryogenic fluid. Nothing except…

"Coolant!" he realized suddenly. The starship's engines required a great deal of coolant fluid to keep from overheating. If he rerouted the coolant's flow into the escape pod, he could freeze himself in a matter of seconds. It would be perfect… as long as it didn't kill him in the process.

Billy inspected the escape pod and began to formulate a plan. He couldn't allow the coolant fluid to come in contact with his skin… but the walls of the pod had a layer of empty space, presumably a reserve storage area for additional water. If he filled that space with engine coolant, the pod's inner chamber would be supercooled by mere proximity.

He paused, considering. What would it be like? His scientist's mind knew exactly what would happen if the plan worked: the supercooled environment inside the pod would lower his body temperature to nearly freezing. It would stop his heart and lungs, putting every bodily function on hold and plunging him into the depths of a frozen sleep. That much he knew.

What he didn't know was what it would actually feel like. As he stood there, lost in thought, he could almost hear his own heartbeat. He listened to its steady cadence, wondering what would happen to him when it fell silent. The very idea was terrifying.

"I've got to do whatever it takes," he reminded himself, letting the sound of his voice push the fear away. "Whatever it takes to stay alive. Whatever it takes to keep the blue flame burning."

He set to work.

  


* * *

  


A half hour later, it was all ready. He had tied in a portion of the ship's control panel with his communicator, creating a remote switch that he would take into the escape pod with him. When activated, the remote would trigger a preprogrammed sequence that would transfer the ship's coolant reserves to the escape pod and then launch it. The lack of coolant would cause the starship to overheat and explode, but hopefully, that wouldn't happen until the pod was safely away.

Hopefully. It all boiled down to hope, didn't it? There was nothing to be gained by waiting. With every second, more of the ship's precious oxygen leaked away. He had to go before it was too late. Billy took a long look at the escape pod. It was the best he could do… but would it be good enough? It had to be. He took a deep breath to reassure himself and stepped inside the coffinlike — _wonderful time to think of that_ — pod. It slid shut over him, seals locking tightly.

It was silent inside the pod… utterly silent. Billy took his communicator in hand, ready to trigger the launch sequence. Then he paused.

Through the window, he saw Earth again. It hung silently in space, glowing blue like the Power burning within him. Everything he cared about was there, waiting for him. Billy stared at the blue of the Earth, then looked deep within himself for the blue flame, still glowing bravely.

"May the Power protect me," he whispered. He pressed the button.

With a rushing sound, white vapor gushed around him, obscuring the Earth in icy clouds. It was cold, colder than anything he had ever known, so cold that it burned. He took a sharp breath and felt the cold searing his lungs, paralyzing them.

_I can't breathe! Oh god, I can't breathe! Let me out! Stop!_ A voiceless scream filled his mind, unable to reach his frozen lips. His lungs felt as if they were about to explode.

He closed his eyes tightly as the freezing clouds grew thicker around him, engulfing him in an icy shroud. He could feel every agonized beat of his heart, coming slower and slower as it was clutched by an icy fist. _Thump… thump… thump…_ He prayed he wouldn't hear it when it stopped.

His head spun from lack of oxygen… or maybe it was the cold. He was so cold… He felt strangely disconnected, as if he was part of the vapor around him. Swirling… floating away… He couldn't think, couldn't focus. The icy fingers were wrapped around his brain, and his mind was shutting down.

_No! Please…_

The cold was a part of him now. It flowed through him, inexorably, slowing everything down like a great glacier covering him over, filling him up.

Deep inside, the blue flame burned, defiant to the last, determined to survive. It was the last thing he saw as the cold won him over. Then all that remained was blackness… and one desperate hope, burning brightly in the void of space.


	2. Blown Away

"Good work, guys!" Tommy congratulated his fellow Rangers as King Mondo's latest monster collapsed in a ball of flame. He swiveled around in his seat to give everyone high-fives.

"Let's get back to the Power Chamber," said Kat after a moment. "Billy should be getting back soon."

"Yeah," Adam replied, "and after being too late to see him leave, we sure don't want to miss his homecoming!"

"Okay," said Tommy, powering down the Zeo-Zords. "Let's go."

  


* * *

  


"Aye-yi-yi, Zordon! It still isn't working!" Alpha 5 exclaimed anxiously as he worked at the teleporter controls. "There's too much interference!"

"Keep trying, Alpha," Zordon instructed. "It is imperative that we retrieve Billy at once."

As Zordon spoke, five columns of colored light appeared in the room. They resolved into the forms of Tommy, Adam, Katherine, Rocky, and Tanya, who all hurried forward to stand near Alpha.

"Alpha, what's wrong?" asked Rocky urgently.

"Aye-yi-yi! It's Billy!" the robot explained. "His starship was attacked by Quadrafighters!"

"Quadrafighters?" Katherine repeated in horror.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Tommy demanded.

"There was nothing you could have done, Rangers," Zordon told them. "You were needed to defeat King Mondo's monster."

"Well, we have to do _something,"_ insisted Tanya.

Adam leaned over Alpha's shoulder to survey the control panels. "Can we teleport him out?" he suggested.

Alpha shook his head sadly. "There's too much residual interference from the weapons fire," he explained. "It's making a teleporter lock impossible."

"What about the Quadrafighters?" Tommy asked. "Is there any way to get rid of them?"

"The Quadrafighters retreated some time ago," replied Zordon. "They are no longer a concern. However, Billy's ship was severely damaged in the attack. Sensors indicate that its oxygen and power levels are falling rapidly."

The Rangers exchanged worried glances. "Hang in there, Billy," Kat said softly, gazing up at the ceiling.

"I've got visual," Adam announced after a few tense moments. The viewing globe came on and displayed the image of a small, battered ship, alone in space.

"Can we contact him?" Tanya asked.

Adam shook his head. "I think his communications system was damaged," he explained. "All I'm getting is static."

"Aye-yi-yi! This is terrible!" Alpha exclaimed suddenly. "The ship's engines are beginning to overheat!"

"What?" Tommy responded in shock. He looked down at the readout Alpha was examining. The numbers and symbols meant little to him, but one thing was clear: the starship's temperature was rising rapidly. "We've got to get him out of there!" he exclaimed.

"I still can't get a lock!" said Adam, working frantically at the teleporter.

"The ship's core temperature has reached critical!" Alpha cried. He deserted the sensor readouts and rushed to help Adam.

"Temperature still increasing," stated Zordon. "It is now 82 degrees above critical. Eighty-five… eighty-eight…"

"Come on!" Kat urged, glancing at Adam and Alpha. Suddenly, a blinding flash of yellow-white light burst from the viewing globe, overloading it and filling the entire Power Chamber. The Rangers shielded their eyes from the sudden brilliance, which just as suddenly faded.

"What was _that_?" exclaimed Rocky, blinking to clear his vision. No one answered.

"Hey, where's the ship?" Tanya asked a few moments later. "Is something wrong with the viewing globe?" No one responded to her question, either.

"Zordon, what happened?" Tommy demanded. "Where's Billy?"

After a long moment, Zordon spoke. "The starship is no longer showing up on sensors," he stated, with a strange tone in his voice.

"What do you mean, it's not showing up?" Tommy pressed. "You mean the sensors are down? Is he out of range or something?" When Zordon didn't respond, he turned to face Adam and Alpha. "What's going on?"

Alpha said nothing, but Adam looked up from the console, his face white. "I… I'm reading traces of a massive energy surge," he said slowly, as if unwilling to believe it.

"Energy surge?" Katherine echoed worriedly. "Do you mean…"

"An explosion," Adam finished numbly. "The ship exploded."

"Oh my God," Tanya moaned softly.

"This can't be happening," said Katherine.

"Billy?" Rocky asked, as if to confirm what they all knew.

Adam nodded slowly, disbelievingly. "Gone," he said.

Tommy felt as though someone had just punched him in the stomach. His first instinct was to give in to the shock and shut down completely, but he wouldn't let himself. Instead, he turned away so that no one would see his face. He refused to break down… not now, not in front of the others. Facing the back wall, where the Rangers' old uniforms were displayed, Tommy fought back tears and stared at the blue costume that had been Billy's with a mixture of grief and denial.

All those other uniforms had changed hands over the years. Even Tommy himself had once been the new kid in town. But Billy… Billy had always been there.

Tommy remembered his first moments as a Ranger on the side of Light, and Billy's welcoming, forgiving smile as he handed the Green Ranger his first communicator. He remembered all the hardships that had followed: the guilt of being used for evil… the shame of his weakness as the Green powers waned… the agony of losing his powers not once, but twice. Through it all, his friends had stayed by his side, and Billy had been the only one of those friends who remained.

He remembered becoming the White Ranger… how apprehensive he'd been at the very idea of leading the team. It had been even worse after Jason left… like having his right arm cut off. He hadn't trusted himself to make the right choices without Jason there to guide him. But just when Tommy had felt that he couldn't handle it, Billy had been there. More than just a second-in-command, the Blue Ranger had been the rock they all leaned on.

Later, when Master Vile turned back time, Billy had taken care of them all… and even after losing his powers, he continued to support the team. And now, he was gone…

"I… I can't believe it," Katherine wept. Rocky drew her into a comforting hug, holding her as she cried. "Billy… it can't be true."

"We never even said goodbye," said Tanya, her voice quivering with tears.

"Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi," Alpha repeated over and over in a sad, nearly inaudible voice. He hadn't moved an inch since Adam's pronouncement, but simply stared down at the readout, as if it would magically change.

"He was… like a son to me," said Zordon sorrowfully. "His loss will be deeply felt."

"I just can't believe he's gone," Adam murmured, his voice faltering as he broke into tears. "It all happened so fast…"

"I only knew him for a few weeks," said Tanya quietly, "but he treated me like we'd been friends for life."

"He was like that with everyone," Kat responded. Memories brought a tiny smile to her face, in spite of the tears. She recalled the way Billy had comforted her in the hospital, the night Kimberly fell off the balance beam. He had always treated her with kindness… no matter what. Even after he found out the truth — that it was she who'd nearly killed one of his best friends — he had still accepted her. Thinking about those days reminded her of something else, too. "What about the others?" she asked Zordon. "The former Rangers?"

The ancient being experienced another kind of grief at the mention of his Chosen Ones. To face his first "children," and tell them that one of them had died a completely needless death… How could he do it? "We have no way of contacting Jason, Trini, Zack, or Aisha," he said finally.

"But we can still reach Kimberly." Wiping her eyes, Kat went to the communications panel and examined the controls for a moment. After making a few minor adjustments, she punched in the number.

  


* * *

  


It was early evening in Florida, and most of Gunthar Schmidt's world-class gymnasts were off in their dorm rooms. Kimberly Hart was alone as she headed for the practice area, hoping to get through her routine a few times before dinner. Her floor routine, that was… after the previous year, she refused to practice alone on the beam.

As she passed the gym office, Kimberly noticed that the door was wide open and the lights were on. Coach Schmidt had forgotten to lock up, as usual. Kim smiled and was about to close the door when the desk phone rang.

"Schmidt Gymnastics Center," she answered on the second ring.

"Kimberly Hart? Is that you?" The voice was vaguely familiar, but Kimberly couldn't place it at the moment.

"Uh, yes, this is she," Kim replied, a bit confusedly. "May I ask who's calling?"

"Kimberly, this is Katherine Hillard."

It was the last person in the world she had expected. "Katherine? Why are you calling?" _Great, Kim, that really sounded friendly._

Kat didn't seem to notice. "Something… something's happened, Kimberly," she said. "We need you to come home."

"Home?" Kim repeated, suddenly worried. It wasn't like Kat to sound so upset. "You mean Angel Grove? Why?"

"I… I don't think you should hear it over the phone. Can you be ready in ten minutes?"

_Ten minutes?_ Kimberly could spend forever and a day packing for trips, and Kat knew it. Whatever had happened, it had to be incredibly serious.

"Make it five." She hung up and ran back to the dorm, leaving the office door banging open behind her.

  


* * *

  


"Kimberly! I'm glad you're here!" Kat exclaimed with relief when the former Pink Ranger materialized in the Power Chamber.

The girls hugged, and Kim could tell that Katherine had been crying. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Kat didn't answer right away. Kimberly was about to ask again, but then she noticed her surroundings. "What is this place?" she asked, looking around. "What happened to the Command Center?"

"It's a long story," Kat replied, relieved that she didn't have to break the bad news right away. "A lot of things have changed around here."

Kimberly looked around at the other Rangers, confused by what she saw. All of the guys were wearing the wrong colors, and Aisha was nowhere in sight. A girl Kim had never seen before was dressed in yellow. She nearly asked about that, but knew it couldn't be the reason Kat had called her. This seemed far more serious.

Everyone looked upset… in fact, they hadn't even noticed her arrival. Adam was sitting on the floor, staring off into space as Rocky tried vainly to talk to him. Tommy stood with his back to the others, gazing bleakly at the back wall, and Alpha and the strange girl in yellow were standing by the teleporter controls, the girl in tears. Even Zordon was silent, and his insubstantial image had a distinctly sorrowful look to it.

Then Kimberly made an ominous realization. "Wait… where's Billy?"

Kat's mouth tightened, and she looked down at the floor as tears threatened to return. Her reaction filled Kimberly with sudden dread.

"He's the reason I called you here," Kat said finally.

Kimberly's eyes widened in fear. "What happened? Where is he?"

Katherine met the girl's gaze and told her, "Billy was on a spaceship that fell under attack, and… there was an explosion."

"Oh, my God." Kimberly felt herself weaken with shock. "You mean he's… he's…?"

Kat nodded, tears spilling down her face. "He's dead."

  


* * *

  


Friction. Heat. The roar of metal plummeting through air with fiery speed. It was all a counterpoint to the icy black silence that it surrounded. The silence was complete and seemingly eternal. The blackness was not. For deep within, nearly indiscernibly, there glowed a faint bluish light…


	3. Lovely To See You

It was a beautiful morning in East Africa when Aisha Campbell awoke. As she dressed in jeans shorts and a yellow T-shirt, Aisha reflected that the morning was much like those in her former town of Angel Grove, California. It was sunny and warm outside, and a gentle breeze was blowing as Aisha stepped out of her family's hut into the midst of the awakening camp.

As on most mornings, she headed for the research clinic: a large green tent on the outskirts of camp. When Aisha had first come to Africa, the clinic had not existed. Its presence was thanks to the Zeo Crystal, which had rewritten history to create a different "now."

Only Aisha and Ishala, the wise matriarch of the camp, knew about the changes. Only they remembered the past in which Aisha Campbell, the Yellow Ranger from Angel Grove, had come to Africa on a quest for the Zeo Crystal. As far as everyone else — including Aisha's parents — was concerned, the Campbells had lived in the camp for years. They all knew Aisha as an assistant at the research clinic, who was helping to save the local animals from a devastating plague.

When Aisha entered the clinic on this particular morning, she found her friend Rachel McCormick already there. The young veterinarian in charge of the clinic was busy examining something through a microscope.

"Hey Rachel," Aisha greeted her. "How's it going?"

"Oh, good morning, Aisha," the veterinarian replied, glancing up. "Fine, I guess." She pushed back a few strands of light brown hair that had come loose from her hasty ponytail. Between that and the rumpled khaki shorts and white shirt Rachel wore, Aisha concluded that she had been working for quite a while.

"What happened?" she asked. "You aren't usually here this early."

"Four infected zebras showed up at about one-thirty this morning," Rachel replied. "I had to check them over and then help get them out of camp."

"They wandered _into_ camp?" Aisha commented. "That's strange."

"Yeah, normally the sick animals would avoid people. I think something spooked them."

"Like what?"

"A few people said they saw something unusual in the sky last night," Rachel explained. "Like a meteor or something."

"You think that's what scared the zebras into camp?"

"It's as good an explanation as any," Rachel said with a shrug. "Not that it really matters, though. The important thing was getting them out of camp before that group arrives."

Aisha did a double take. "What group?" The isolated camp was rarely visited by outsiders.

"You haven't heard about it? I thought everybody knew…" Rachel's hand flew to her mouth. "Whoops!"

"What?"

"I just remembered… you aren't supposed to know about it yet."

"Why not?"

Rachel shrugged. "Ishala said it was supposed to be a surprise for you. I don't know what the big deal is, though. It's not like you'd actually know any of them."

"Any of who?"

"It's some kind of teen ambassador group," explained Rachel as Aisha's eyes widened. "I guess they go around touring a bunch of different countries or something."

Aisha shrieked excitedly. "I do know them, Rachel! This is amazing! Wow, it's going to be so morphinomenal to see them again…"

" 'Morphin'-_what?"_

"Never mind," Aisha laughed, practically dancing out of the clinic.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To see Ishala!" the exuberant girl replied. "This is so awesome!" She skipped off to Ishala's hut, leaving Rachel gazing speculatively after her.

"I take it she liked the surprise."

  


* * *

  


After nearly two years as a teen ambassador, Zack Taylor had gotten used to sleeping on trains, boats, and a wide variety of airplanes. The bus he was currently riding, however, was an entirely different matter. The farther it traveled through the Kenyan countryside, the worse the ride became.

A particularly nasty bump jolted Zack awake. He looked out the bus window to see that the "road" had narrowed to little more than a dusty path through the savanna. A glance at his wristwatch, which he had fortunately remembered to set for local time, told him that it was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon.

"Are we there yet?" he asked groggily.

"Just about," replied his friend Jason Scott, who was sitting next to him. "There's half a mile to go."

Zack yawned and stretched out as far as the seat would allow. "Still tired?" Jason said disbelievingly. "Didn't you sleep on the plane from Cairo?"

"Man, I don't think I slept at all! I was too freaked out after hearing about all those curses!"

Trini Kwan, sitting across the aisle from the boys, laughed at that. "I don't think they'll be wanting you to endorse Egyptian tourism anytime soon, that's for sure!"

"I just can't believe you were scared of that scarab beetle," Jason remarked. "What did you think it was going to do, anyway?"

Zack rolled his eyes. "Excuuuuuse me! I just overreacted a little bit… Hey, we're here!"

The three friends abandoned their conversation to look out the window. They had arrived at a small village of tents and huts, where a crowd had gathered to welcome them.

"Hey, who's that?" wondered Jason, pointing to someone in the crowd.

"Which one?" asked Zack confusedly.

"The girl in the yellow. She seems really familiar, but…" Trini squinted out at the crowd, trying to make out the girl's features. "It's Aisha!" she realized suddenly. "What's she doing here?"

"Let's go find out," Zack suggested, gesturing towards the front of the bus. He, Trini, and Jason followed the other delegates out into the blinding sunlight. As they paused to let their eyes adjust, Aisha came running up to them, her dark braids flying around her and her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Wow, it really is you guys! I can't believe this!" she exclaimed.

"Neither can we!" replied Jason. "What are you doing in Africa?"

"Working in a veterinary research clinic," she replied, drawing blank looks from her three friends. "It's a long story. How are you guys doing?"

"Great!" said Trini, as the four friends began exchanging hugs. "We've been having a blast. But how's the rest of the team?"

"Well, things weren't so great the last time I saw them, but…"

"The last time you saw them?" echoed Jason.

"Yeah, what happened?" asked Zack.

Aisha laughed. "Boy, have I got a lot to tell you guys…"

  


* * *

  


The mood in the Machine Skybase was not pleasant. It had not been pleasant for nearly a day.

"You let him get away!" King Mondo was screaming at a group of Cogs. "Do you call yourselves fighter pilots? You retreated when you had a chance to destroy him!"

"The enemy ship was losing life support," the squadron leader said in flat, mechanical tones. "Victory was assured."

"Don't talk back to me, you junkheaps! Thanks to you, that brat managed to escape back to Earth! Now I'll have to start from scratch! A new plan, a new monster…"

"Yer Majesty?" Klank interrupted hesitantly.

"What is it, Klank?" Mondo sighed, frustrated now that his anger was spent.

His confidence slightly improved by the Machine King's change of mood, Klank continued, "Our sensors have detected Billy's escape pod, Yer Majesty, and the Power Rangers dunna even know about it!"

"Excellent!" replied King Mondo, pleased by the surprise. "Send down the Cogs at once to retrieve it."

"But why, Yer Majesty?" Klank asked. "We canna detect any life signs. The Rangers' friend is finished!"

"We must make absolutely sure of that," Mondo said. "We'll never defeat the Rangers if Billy is always there to fix everything for them!"

"And we simply _must_ defeat them," interrupted Queen Machina from across the room. She snapped her fan decisively. "It would be so embarrassing if we couldn't manage to take over this last little planet. What would they think of us back in the Alliance?"

Mondo shuddered. He could just hear what Dregon and Aradon and all the rest would be saying. _Who was it again that defeated the Machine Empire? Was it Aquitar? Ihlyra? Oh, no, it was _Earth!_ You know, the planet that's defended by _children! He would never, never in a million years be able to live that down.

"Don't worry, my dear," he said to appease Machina. "The Rangers will be taken care of." _I hope._

"Can I send a monster down, Dad?" Prince Sprocket begged. "Can I, can I, please?"

"I hardly think that's necessary," Mondo replied. "_If_ Billy survived, he'll be in no condition to defend himself. The Cogs should have no problems capturing him."

"But, Dad…" Sprocket whined.

"The Cogs will handle it," the king said firmly. He turned to the Quadrafighter pilots that were still cowering fearfully in a corner.

"I want you to get down there immediately and find that escape pod," he told them. "If Billy is alive, bring him to me at once. If not… so much the better."

  


* * *

  


"…so I decided to stay, and Tanya went back with my crystal. I guess it must have worked, because a couple of minutes after she left, I went back to my normal age."

Aisha had spent the past hour updating Jason, Trini, and Zack on everything that had happened in Angel Grove since they left. The four friends had begun their conversation in the village, immediately after the peace delegates' brief tour. By the time Aisha finished her narrative, they had wandered nearly a mile into the savanna.

"So that's what happened," Zack remarked after Aisha had finished telling them about the Zeo quest.

"A couple of weeks ago," Jason explained to Aisha, "something really weird happened to us in England. One minute, we were touring Buckingham Palace, and the next minute, we were sitting in a fifth-grade classroom. The weirdest part was, we couldn't remember how we got there."

Aisha nodded. "My parents don't remember how it was before, either," she said. "As far as they're concerned, we never lived in Angel Grove. The only ones who know the truth are me and Ishala."

"Why?" Trini wondered. "Why didn't everyone notice the changes?"

"It's got something to do with being Rangers," replied Aisha. "When it first happened, Billy said that we retained our memories because of the Power Coins. But I don't know why we didn't lose our memories when the coins were destroyed… or why I still remember, even though I'm not a Ranger anymore."

"Probably because you were close to the situation," speculated Jason. "You already knew what was going on, so you kept your memories."

"No matter why it happened, I'm glad," Aisha said, looking around at the vast grassland. "I love it here, but I wouldn't want to forget Angel Grove."

"I know what you mean," commented Zack. "The peace tour has been morphinomenal, but I still miss the old days." He smiled, a bit ruefully. "Sometimes I think I'd give anything for the chance to beat up a few putties again."

The former Rangers laughed.

"Be careful what you wish for, Zack," Trini warned him jokingly. "You just might…" She cut off abruptly as an unearthly violet glow appeared before them. "What's that?"

Suddenly, a dozen figures emerged from the violet light. They were humanoid in shape, but seemed more like machines than people: they had golden heads and silvery bodies, and walked with robotic stiffness.

"What the…?" Jason instinctively dropped into a defensive stance. "Aisha, what are they?"

"Nothing I've ever seen before!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in bewilderment.

"Well, whatever they are," said Zack, "they're trouble!"

"Right," Jason replied. "Let's get 'em, guys!" The four teenagers charged toward the robots, ready to do battle despite their lack of powers. Most of the robot creatures turned to attack them, but a few wandered off, farther into the savanna.

"It seems like they're looking for something!" shouted Trini as she dodged a blow from one of the robots and delivered one of her own.

"Whatever it is, we've gotta stop them!" Jason yelled back. A powerful kick sent his attacker flying. He had just turned to face another of the robots when a beam of blue light shot from its eyes, catching Jason full in the chest. He dropped to the ground, momentarily dazed.

Aisha kicked a robot's legs out from under it and then rushed to help Jason up.

"Jason, are you all right?" she asked, worried.

He nodded. "I'm okay now. But it's gonna be tough to defeat these things without our powers."

"No kidding. I wonder what they're doing so far from Angel Grove?"

"Who knows? Maybe… Hi-yaah!" A tornado kick made short work of the robot that had been creeping up on them. "Maybe it's because whatever they're looking for is here… Zack! Behind you!"

Zack punched the robot in front of him and then swept into a low kick, knocking down the one behind him. Both attackers shattered into an assortment of springs and gears.

"These things are tough!" Zack exclaimed, rolling to avoid another energy blast like the one that had hit Jason.

Aisha glanced at Trini. "Air attack?"

"Right!" Trini nodded. "Ready, guys?"

The two girls raced toward Zack and Jason, who boosted them into the air. They somersaulted down in two blurs of yellow and landed on the robots, smashing three of them to pieces. As the teens regrouped, the remaining few attackers fled into the grassland. A moment later, the violet light reappeared and swallowed them up.

"What was _that_ all about?" Zack panted after the robots were gone.

"Those were _way_ beyond putties," remarked Jason, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Or Tengas," Aisha added. "I don't have a clue what those things were."

"I don't get it," said Zack. "I mean, what could they be looking for way out here?"

"Wait a minute!" Aisha exclaimed with sudden realization. "The meteor!"

"What?" asked Zack.

"Some people in camp said they saw a meteor last night. It landed somewhere out here and spooked a bunch of animals."

"Where is it?" Jason asked.

Aisha shrugged.

"Well, some of the robots went over that way," said Trini, pointing to a small rise nearby.

Jason nodded. "Let's go."

  


* * *

  


The blue flame had dwindled to barely a spark. It flickered weakly, desperately trying to hold on. For fifteen hours, it had managed easily. Now, though, something had happened. Something was different. Needs that for the past day had been suppressed were crying out again. As the icy blackness surrounding the blue flame slowly began to dissipate, those needs became harder and harder to ignore. There was no way to satiate them… and time was running out.


	4. Vital Signs

The four friends had walked about twenty yards when they saw something glinting in the hot afternoon sun.

"That's no meteor," Trini said.

"But what _is_ it?" breathed Aisha.

It was an oblong metallic pod, lying on a patch of bare, blackened ground where the grass had been burned away. _Good thing it rained last night,_ Aisha thought. _That could have started the entire grassland on fire._

The pod's silvery surface was covered with scorch marks, as if it had gone through incredible heat. Attached to it was a large white parachute, its collapsed folds rippling in the breeze. As the four teenagers got closer, they saw a puddle of thick greenish fluid around the base of the pod. The puddle bubbled and steamed in the hot sun, and the air around it seemed much cooler than normal.

"What's that green stuff?" wondered Jason, leaning over the quickly evaporating puddle.

"I wouldn't touch it," advised Trini, keeping her distance. "It's probably cold enough to burn your hand off."

"It looks like those robot guys were messing around with this thing," Zack remarked as he looked around. "Maybe that's why it's leaking."

"Which means," Jason realized, "that there's probably something in here that they want to destroy. Something that needs to be kept cold."

"And we stopped them from taking it, so they just settled for thawing it out," Aisha finished.

The four friends exchanged glances, each of them thinking the same thing: _But what is it?_

"Let's open it," Trini said softly.

Jason nodded and stepped carefully around the green puddle to stand beside the pod. He located a locking mechanism on the pod's side and fumbled with it for a moment. Finally managing to undo the lock, he tried pushing the door open, to no avail.

"Zack, take the other side," he instructed, walking around the pod to join him. "Let's try pulling it open."

"Right," Zack replied, taking up position next to Jason. "On three," Jason ordered. "One… two… _three!"_ The boys pulled with all their strength, breaking into sweat as the top of the pod began to slowly slide towards them. Trini and Aisha went to the other side and began pushing, adding their strength to that of their friends.

Thick clouds of cold white vapor poured out of the pod as the door was forced farther and farther back. Trini fanned the vapor away with her arm and peered inside the pod.

"Oh, my God!" Every bit of color suddenly drained from her face.

"What?" Jason asked. "What is it?"

Trini was speechless. Looking down into the pod, Aisha realized why. "It's Billy!"

  


* * *

  


King Mondo was furious.

"Those good-for-nothing piles of scrap!" he raved. "They can't do anything right!"

"I'm sure they would have succeeded, Yer Majesty," Klank said diplomatically, "if it hadna been fer those four teenagers."

"They weren't even Power Rangers!" Mondo exclaimed. "They destroyed my Cogs without any powers at all!"

"I told you we needed a monster," Prince Sprocket jeered.

"Hsssh! Don't sass your father!" Queen Machina scolded. "He's upset enough as it is!"

"Hmph!" The stomping of Sprocket's metallic feet clanged loudly on the floor, and his purple cape rustled behind him as he left the room, pouting.

"Those Cogs are completely worthless!" the king ranted on. "Not only did they not manage to capture Billy, they led those meddling teenagers straight to him! Now everything is ruined!"

"Darling, don't carry on so," said Machina soothingly. "It's bad for your oil pressure."

"But now that brat is going to survive!"

"Perhaps not," said the queen, twirling her fan slyly. "The Cogs _did_ manage to drain all the coolant from his escape pod."

"And without that," Orbus chimed in from Klank's shoulder, "he'll need oxygen again!"

"Those frail humans are _so_ dependent on oxygen!" remarked Klank. "He cannae survive fer more than a few minutes without it. We've won!"

But the Machine King was inconsolable. He stormed off as Sprocket had, muttering despairingly to himself.

"Back to the drawing board! By the time I conquer this planet, I'll be so old and rusted…"

Queen Machina watched him go, and absently fanned herself. "He doesn't cope well with stress, does he?"

  


* * *

  


Jason, Trini, Zack, and Aisha stood transfixed in horror, staring down into the open pod. Inside, Billy lay motionless and silent… whether unconscious or dead, no one knew. His skin was very pale, with a slight bluish cast to it, and his dark blond hair was damp with condensed moisture. The curve of his mouth and the lines around his closed eyes seemed frozen in an expression of pain.

"Billy!" Jason said urgently. "Billy, can you hear me? Come on, man, wake up!"

"Something's really wrong, guys," said Aisha fearfully.

Trini reached into the pod to check Billy's vital signs, but she had barely even touched him when she pulled back in surprise. "He's freezing!" she exclaimed, astonished.

"Just like that green stuff," puzzled Zack. "I wonder what happened?"

_I have no idea_ was on the tip of Jason's tongue, but he had hardly opened his mouth to say it when Trini interrupted.

"Guys," she said, looking up with fear shining in her dark eyes, "I can't find a pulse."

"Oh, no," Aisha reacted, shaking her head in frightened disbelief. "Please, no…"

"Give me a hand, Zack," Jason ordered, his instincts kicking into emergency mode. The pair easily lifted Billy from the pod and laid him down on the scorched ground, away from the puddle of coolant.

"I can't believe this," Aisha began. "He can't be…"

"There's still a chance," Jason insisted firmly. "Somebody has to go and get help!"

"I'll go," replied Zack, leaping instantly to his feet.

"Get Rachel from the clinic!" Aisha told him. "She'll know what to do! Hurry!"

Zack nodded in acknowledgement and sprinted off toward the village. "Remember scuba training?" Jason said to Trini as he pulled Billy's shirt open. "You breathe, I'll do the compressions."

Trini nodded.

"Okay, then. Let's do it."

He and Trini began CPR as Aisha scooted back to give them room. "One, two, three, four, five!" Jason counted as he repeatedly pressed down on Billy's chest. "Breathe! One, two, three, four, five! Breathe!" After every fifth compression, Trini administered a breath. The pair worked side by side for several minutes as Aisha looked on.

"Come on, Billy," Trini coaxed between breaths. "Come on, breathe!"

"One, two, three, four, five!" Jason continued, pausing to let Trini deliver a breath. "Come on, Billy! One, two, three, four, five! Breathe!"

"Nothing's happening!" Aisha exclaimed despairingly.

"He's gonna make it!" insisted Jason. "Don't give up!"

Fighting back tears, Aisha took Billy's cold, pale hand in her own. "Come on, Billy, please! You've got to fight back! Come on!"

"One, two, three, four, five!" Jason continued doggedly. His arms were beginning to ache, and the merciless sun wasn't helping much, either. Sweat trickled into his eyes, but he couldn't pause to wipe it away. He couldn't afford to miss a single compression, not when Billy's life hung in the balance… and it was a precarious balance indeed. Jason couldn't help wondering how long it had been since Billy stopped breathing. Were his and Trini's efforts too little, too late?

"One, two, three, four, five!" He wouldn't let himself think about it. Billy was _not_ going to die, not if Jason Lee Scott had any say in the matter. "One, two, three, four, five!"

"Jason, it's not working." Trini fought back tears. "It's been over five minutes." There was hardly a chance left that Billy could be revived; even less that he would survive without some sort of brain damage.

The grim knowledge only served to increase Jason's determination. "Fight, Billy!" he shouted, in as commanding a tone as he had ever used as the Red Ranger. "You've got to fight! Don't give up, fight! Come on! You're gonna make it!" With renewed strength, he continued the compressions, shouting encouragements the whole time.

"One, two, three, four, five! Breathe! Come on, Billy, now!"

"Please, Billy, fight!" Aisha joined in. "Come on, you can do it! Be strong, Billy! Breathe!"

Suddenly, a tremor went through Billy's body, and he drew a long, ragged breath.

"Something's happening!" Aisha said, leaning forward excitedly. "He's starting to breathe!"

"Yes!" Jason exclaimed. He sank to a sitting position in exhausted relief.

"Did it really work?" Trini looked anxiously at Billy, as if to confirm for herself what Aisha had said. He was indeed breathing again, albeit shallowly and with a halting, ragged sound.

"He's got a pulse," Jason announced, rather unnecessarily. His wide smile showed the relief all three of them were feeling. "We did it, Trini."

They hugged, Trini breaking into joyful tears as Jason barely restrained tears of his own.

"You guys were great," Aisha told them, smiling broadly as tears streamed down her face. She leaned across Billy to join in the hug. "He's gonna be okay."

"We need to get him warmed up, though," said Jason after a moment, and pulled off his sleeveless red shirt. He draped it over Billy's unconscious form, simultaneously realizing that a sleeveless shirt wasn't going to be much good to someone that cold.

"How will we get him back to camp?" Aisha wondered.

The three friends looked around for a moment until Trini suggested, "The parachute! We can hold it up, you know, kind of like a hammock."

"Speaking of the parachute, what are we going to do about that pod thing?" Jason asked. "Zack's gonna be back any minute with Rachel, and she'll want to know…"

Just then, Zack appeared, dashing toward them along with Rachel McCormick. Out of breath, the two nearly collapsed when they reached the scorched area, but Rachel managed to sit down next to Billy and open the medical bag she had brought. "What have we got?" she panted.

"His name's Billy," Jason told her. "He didn't have a pulse or anything when we found him. We did CPR for five or six minutes."

Rachel nodded. "Good job. I'm glad you knew what to do. Six minutes is a heck of a long time without oxygen." She rooted around in her bag and finally came up with a stethoscope.

"Hey, wait a second!" Trini interrupted. "Aren't you the veterinarian?"

"Yeah," Rachel replied as she put on the stethoscope. Pushing Jason's shirt aside, she positioned the instrument on Billy's chest and listened silently for a moment. Then she looked back up at Trini and explained, "I trained as an EMT before I came over here. It comes in handy from time to time."

She paused to listen again, then took Billy's pulse and blood pressure. "He's pretty much stabilized," she concluded, "at least until we can get him to the clinic for a full exam. But how did he get so cold? It's at least ninety degrees out here, and he feels like an ice cube."

Jason, Trini, Aisha, and Zack exchanged glances. Zordon had drilled the need for secrecy into them time and time again. _Keep your identities secret,_ he had said. _No one may know that you are the Power Rangers._

"She has to know what happened if she's going to help him," Trini pointed out. She and the others gazed at Jason. Powers or no, he was still the Red Ranger, and the decision would be his.

Jason's dark eyes met theirs, and then he looked down at the unconscious body of a friend whom he hadn't seen in two years. _We'll get you through this, Billy,_ he promised silently. _I promise you'll be all right._ Rules or no, they had to do whatever it took. _But that doesn't mean she has to know _everything…

Jason gestured toward the escape pod, then looked at Rachel. "We found him in there…"

  


* * *

  


In the darkness, four lights burned steadily. Their colors were familiar: red, black, and two yellows. The blue flame glowed warmly in their presence.

_Friends…_

There was a fifth light as well, a pale flame of silvery-white that was like the others, yet somehow different at the same time. It was unfamiliar, but friendly, and the blue flame clung to it as it did the others. The lights were warmth and safety and love, and whatever they had done had caused the blue flame to flare brilliantly again, with renewed strength and hope.

As it basked in the warmth of the colored lights, the blue flame reached out around itself, whispering a triumphant message to the sleeping mind it sustained.

_It worked._


	5. Vigil

It was evening, and Aisha, Trini, Zack, and Jason were back in camp. The four friends were sitting in the research clinic, where Billy had been brought several hours earlier.

Still unconscious, Billy lay on the clinic's exam table, which Rachel and Aisha had converted into a makeshift bed. He was breathing more easily now, but he still seemed pale against the dark blankets, and the limp hand Trini held was still cold to the touch.

"I wish he would wake up," she said, worry evident on her face. "Rachel said it might be a while," Aisha reminded her gently. "Just give him some time."

"Speaking of Rachel," Zack interrupted, "where is she, anyway?"

"She was up practically all last night," replied Aisha, "so I told her to go get some sleep. She was going to stay, but I said we could handle it."

Jason nodded. "We need time to work out a plan, anyway," he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Aisha as she and Trini came to sit with the guys.

"A way to contact the others back in Angel Grove," he replied. "We've got to let them know where Billy is."

"How are we supposed to contact them?" Zack responded. "There aren't any phones around here."

"What about communicators?" Jason asked, looking around at his three friends. "Could we use Billy's?"

Trini shook her head. "He's modified it somehow. I found it wired inside the pod, like some kind of control switch."

"Can you fix it?" Zack asked hopefully.

"I'm not even sure what he did to it. Besides, the cold probably ruined it, anyway. I don't think it would work, even if I could fix it."

Jason glanced at Aisha. "Do you still have yours?"

"Yeah, but it won't do us much good."

"Why not?"

"I'm not a Ranger anymore," Aisha replied, as if it were self-explanatory.

"What does that have to do with it?" Trini asked with a baffled expression.

"The communicators are tied to our powers," the other girl explained. "They're useless without a Power Coin or Zeo Crystal."

Trini looked doubtful. "Who told you that?"

"Billy did. When the earth was sent back in time, our communicators stopped working, and he said that was why. They were linked in to our Power Coins."

"Well, the teleporter won't work," replied Trini, "but the communicator should be fine. It doesn't really take much power at all."

"If they don't need much power, then why did Billy link them to the coins?" Zack wondered.

"He didn't at first," replied Trini. "Alpha changed it that way because the Power Coins were a more reliable energy source."

Aisha choked back a laugh. "The Power Coins? Reliable?" Jason, Trini, and Zack looked at her strangely. "Never mind," Aisha said quickly.

"Anyway," said Trini, returning to the subject, "I should be able to get your communicator working in no time. I just have to hook it up to a new power source."

"Like what?" asked Jason.

Trini shrugged. "A couple of batteries should do it."

"I'll get the ones from my camera," Zack offered, and hurried out of the clinic. Aisha went with him to get her communicator.

When they had gone, Trini walked across the packed dirt floor to stand at Billy's side. For a long time, she said nothing, but simply stood there, studying his tranquil features. "He's missing his glasses," she observed at last, a bit wistfully.

"Maybe he finally got rid of them," suggested Jason, coming to stand next to her. "Remember how they were always getting in his way in battles?"

Trini laughed softly and nodded, despite the fact that her eyes were brimming with tears. "Remember the very first time we fought the Putties?" she reminded him. "Billy stopped to take his glasses off first, and then he couldn't even see them coming. They tossed him on the ground in about ten seconds flat."

"Guess that taught him to leave them on." Jason smiled at the memory. "God, that seems like a long time ago."

"It's been nearly three years. Two, since we left Angel Grove. We didn't even keep in touch, not really." The tears finally came, glistening on her face like diamonds in the light of the clinic's Coleman lantern. "I wish we had. Now… we might not get the chance."

"Trini." Shaking his head, Jason put his arms around her reassuringly, and she rested her head on his chest. "Don't say that. He'll be okay."

"I hope so."

They said no more, but stood together silently in the lanternlight, holding each other close as they kept vigil over their friend.

  


* * *

  


Mornings at the Angel Grove Youth Center were usually cheerful. This particular morning was no exception: the Youth Center's outdoor cafe was filled with teenagers enjoying the sunshine, juice, and friendly atmosphere. One table, however, didn't share the pleasant mood.

"I still can't believe it," Tommy sighed, shaking his head sadly. "I… I just never thought something like this could happen."

Tanya nodded. "I never really thought about the danger," she remarked. "It's like, 'I'm a Power Ranger, so I'm invincible,' you know? You think you're protected somehow… and then you realize how risky it really is."

"And Billy was even less protected than the rest of us," added Rocky. "Without the Power, he was defenseless out there." Rocky felt anger beginning to bubble up inside him, and he let it. Anger was easier than the hollow, aching sense of failure and loss that had haunted him since Billy's death.

"I never dreamed King Mondo would attack someone who wasn't even a Ranger," said Kat quietly, her blue eyes troubled.

"It's been done before," Kimberly pointed out.

"I know," replied Kat, "but never like this. Not targeting a specific person and then… then…" Her pale face crumbled with grief, and she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Mondo's gonna pay," Rocky promised her, his expression fierce. "Someday, he'll pay for this."

"What's the point?" asked Adam suddenly. The others nearly jumped at his voice — Adam had hardly spoken all morning, just sat there between Tanya and Kat with a look of utter desolation on his face.

That look hadn't changed. Adam's face was still flatly expressionless, and his normally lively dark eyes seemed dull and empty. Losing his best friend was simply too much to deal with. Billy had been like a big brother to him… and to even contemplate the fact that he was gone…

"There's no point in getting revenge," he continued dully. "No matter what we do to Mondo, it won't bring Billy back."

Tanya put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know it hurts, Adam, but it really would help to talk about it. Billy wouldn't have wanted you to be like this."

A long moment passed, in which there was no response from Adam. Finally, Kat said, "Adam is right about one thing. There's nothing we can do to change this… and we can't keep it to ourselves forever."

"Katherine's right." Kimberly hesitated for a moment before continuing, "We're going to have to tell his father."

Tommy looked away quickly, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. "I know," he whispered.

Kimberly put her arm around him comfortingly. "I'll talk to him, if you want," she offered. "I can tell it bothers you, and I've known him longer than anyone."

"No." Tommy shook his head and wiped the tears away stubbornly. He'd done his crying already. The night before, he'd gone down to the docks at Angel Grove Harbor, where his Dragonzord slept beneath the waves. He always went there when he needed to work through something, and it always made him feel better… as if the little things he worried about could never compare to the horrors he'd gone through as the Green Ranger. This time, it hadn't really helped. It had been a relief, though, to finally let go of the tears he'd been hiding. He could cry at the harbor, alone with the old friend who had shared in so many of his sorrows. There, he was just Tommy. Here, with the others, he was Zeo Ranger V again… and he couldn't cry anymore.

"I'll do it," he said finally, when he was sure he had control of his voice. "I just… I just need a little more time."

Kimberly smiled at him, an awkward smile considering that she, too, was on the verge of tears. "I understand, Tommy. We all miss him." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, and the two stared at each other for a long moment.

Tanya and Rocky actually smiled at the sight, although Adam was still beyond noticing. Kat watched the couple for only a second, and then looked away with a strangely uncomfortable expression. Tommy and Kimberly didn't notice.

Suddenly, the Rangers' communicators went off. Kimberly grabbed for her wrist reflexively, and was mildly surprised to find it bare. Adam didn't react at all, but the others started slightly and glanced around themselves. A moment later, Tommy stood. "I'll go see what's up," he said softly, and left the table. He walked quickly around a corner, out of sight of prying eyes.

"I wonder what Zordon wants," commented Rocky, sounding as though he couldn't have cared less.

"He's probably just checking up on us," Kimberly replied. "I know he's worried about us."

_At least, I hope that's it,_ she thought. _If there was a monster attack right now, I don't think these guys could handle it._

She surveyed her friends' faces. Adam was almost completely out of it, Tanya was on the verge of crying again, and Rocky looked ready to kill something. Katherine's expression was the most puzzling. Her teary, red-rimmed eyes contrasted strangely with the tight, uncomfortable line of her mouth, and she refused to look at Kimberly.

_I wonder what's wrong with her?_ Kimberly thought, and then dismissed the question. Billy's death had affected them all strangely, and Kimberly supposed Kat's mood swing was just as normal a reaction as Adam's withdrawal.

She abandoned her speculations a moment later as Tommy returned to the table, bright-eyed and excited.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Tanya chimed in. "What did Zordon want?"

"It wasn't Zordon," Tommy replied, looking as if he were about to burst with some huge secret. "It was Jason."

"Jason?!" Kim and Rocky repeated, surprised and puzzled. Even Adam seemed to show a bit of interest.

Kat and Tanya glanced at each other, confused. "You mean that guy you told me about?" asked Kat. "From Switzerland?"

Tommy nodded, but didn't elaborate. Instead, he took a deep breath and continued, "They've found Billy."

Kimberly was on her feet in an instant. "_Billy?!"_ she repeated in disbelief. "They've found… _Billy?!"_

Tommy nodded and broke into a wide grin. "He's alive."

"YES!" Rocky whooped, jumping up from his seat. He hugged Tanya, who had been sitting next to him, and then leaned over the table to Adam. "Did you hear that, man? Billy's alive! They found him!"

Adam's jaw had dropped practically to the tabletop. "He's not dead?" he said, confused. "But… the ship. I saw it. I saw it blow up."

"He wasn't on it," explained Tommy breathlessly. "They found him in an escape pod out in the middle of nowhere."

"And he's alive," Kimberly whispered, not quite believing it. Tommy quite literally swept her off her feet and whirled her joyously through the air. Her pink flowered dress swirled around her knees as he set her back down and hugged her tightly. Tears of joy ran freely down their faces, and both of their souls seemed to shine out of their hazel-brown eyes as they shared the ecstatic moment.

"He's alive," Tommy half-laughed, half-sobbed. "He's really alive."

Other Juice Bar patrons were beginning to cast odd looks in the Rangers' direction, but none of them noticed or cared. Even Kat, who had appeared so sullen a moment ago, was crying in relief. She hugged Tanya and then Tommy. The second hug was more of a threesome, since Kim was still clinging to Tommy's shoulders, but Kat barely noticed.

_Billy's alive,_ she thought. For that moment, nothing else mattered.


	6. Reunion

Trini was sitting alone in the clinic, watching over Billy. Aisha and the guys had gone outside to wait for the others, but Trini wouldn't leave. Although there had been no change in Billy's condition, she wanted to be there, just in case.

_We can't let him wake up all alone,_ she had thought. _He's going to be scared and confused… someone has to be here._

Trini had been sitting next to Billy for several minutes when she heard a low sigh. "Billy?" she asked quickly, leaning over him with an anxious expression. "Billy, are you awake?"

A muscle twitched in Billy's face and he sighed again, but didn't awaken. He was shivering, and Trini pulled the blanket up closer around him, as if she were tucking in a child.

"I know you're in there, Billy," she told him, "and I believe you can hear me." She caressed his face tenderly with a soft hand. "Please come back to us. You can do it, I know you can. Please don't take too long."

The faintest shadow of a smile drifted across Billy's sleeping face. Trini wondered what, if anything, was going on in his mind. Was he dreaming? Had he heard her?

Suddenly, a familiar sound caught Trini's attention. Glancing outside, she saw six columns of light appear next to the campfire and resolve themselves into the figures of Tommy, Kimberly, Rocky, Adam, and two others whom she didn't recognize.

"The others are here," she said, turning back to Billy. She kissed her first two fingers and touched them gently to his lips. "I'll be right back," she whispered.

Trini stood quietly and headed out to join her friends. A blush colored her face when she saw Jason standing at the clinic entrance, and she wondered how much he had seen. The former Red Ranger smiled faintly at her embarrassment, but didn't bring up the subject. "They're here," he said simply.

An emotional reunion was in progress when Trini and Jason stepped into the circle of firelight. There were so many hugs and back-slaps and tearful greetings happening at once that it was hard to tell who was who.

"Trini!" someone exclaimed excitedly, drawing her attention. The familiar voice came from a petite brown-haired girl in a short flower-print dress, who had been hugging Aisha a moment before.

"Kimberly!" Trini dashed forward to embrace her best friend. "Aisha said you were in Florida!"

"I was," Kimberly replied. "I came back when they told me that Billy was…" She shook her head, as if to negate the thought. "It's great to see you," she finished simply.

Trini grinned as they hugged again. Over Kim's shoulder, she saw Aisha hugging another girl in yellow, then one dressed in pink. Jason and Zack were talking with Tommy, while Rocky went over to Aisha and dragged Adam along with him.

"I guess I need to introduce everybody," said Tommy as the greetings tapered off. "This is Katherine…" He gestured toward a tall blonde girl who was wearing a fuchsia sweater and black skirt.

"Call me Kat," she said in a warm Australian accent.

"…and this is Tanya," Tommy continued, indicating the other girl, who wore yellow. Tanya smiled, a bit shyly, and said 'hi.'

Jason stepped forward. "I'm Jason," he told the two girls. Then he introduced Zack and Trini, and more greetings followed.

"Where's Billy?" Kim asked. She was obviously worried, despite the group's cheerfulness.

"In the clinic," Jason replied, nodding in the direction of a large green tent. "He's not awake yet."

"Can we go see him?" asked Tanya hopefully.

"Sure, go ahead," Aisha replied, forcing her attention back to the matter at hand. Seeing Tanya as a teenager was a bit unnerving… when the two girls had met, they'd been only ten years old.

"We should probably take turns going in," Kimberly suggested. "You know, so there's not, like, a whole mob in there."

"You're probably right, Kim," responded Tommy. He turned toward Adam, who was hanging back a bit from the others and had hardly spoken. "Hey, man, why don't you go ahead?"

Adam nodded, his face a strange mixture of anticipation and dread, as he silently began walking toward the clinic. The others watched sympathetically as the melancholy teen trudged away.

"He's been really torn up over this," Tommy explained softly. "Even when we found out Billy was alive, I don't think Adam really believed it."

"He's barely even talked since it happened," added Kat.

"Well, I hope he doesn't freak out in there," Aisha said with concern. "I mean, when he sees Billy like that. He's not looking so good, and it might make Adam even more upset."

Trini was staring off in the direction of the clinic. "I think he'll be okay," she murmured distantly.

"Yeah," Kimberly agreed. "Adam'll snap out of it."

Trini smiled to herself. _I wasn't talking about Adam._

  


* * *

  


Adam walked hesitantly toward the large green tent. Jason had called it "the clinic." He said Billy was inside. Adam didn't understand. A clinic was a place where sick people went to get better. Billy wasn't sick. Billy was dead. So why was he in the clinic?

The others had all seemed happy and excited when they found out Billy was here. They were anxious to go see him. Why? Adam didn't know. For some reason, though, he now found himself entering the tent and looking around.

The interior of the clinic was illuminated by a Coleman gas lantern that sat atop a filing cabinet. Soft light fell on the figure of Billy, who was lying on a makeshift bed that seemed to have originally been a table or workbench. He was covered nearly up to his chin with a navy blue blanket that made him seem very small and pale.

Hesitantly, Adam approached his friend. He wondered why his face hadn't been covered up. _Isn't that what they're supposed to do when somebody dies?_

When Adam finally reached Billy's bedside, he had to force himself to look down. Billy's eyes were closed, and there were dark circles under them. He looked completely peaceful, and there was even the faintest suggestion of a smile on his face. He looked so… so _normal._ He could have been asleep, even. Why, why did he have to look like that, just the way he had looked when he was alive?

Adam felt tears building up inside him, but they refused to come. An iron fist was clamped around his heart, holding everything in just as it had been doing ever since the previous afternoon. Dry-eyed, he stared at Billy and sobbed silently inside himself.

Gradually, Adam became aware of a soft, rhythmic sound. He watched his friend closely, noticing for the first time the nearly imperceptible rising and falling of his chest. Breathing… Billy was _breathing_…

"Billy?!" Adam gasped, and took a few faltering steps backwards. "You're… you're…"

The dam finally broke, and hot tears spilled down Adam's face. "Oh, God…" he choked. "Billy… you're alive? You're… I mean, I thought… I thought that you were… Oh, Billy!"

Adam sank to his knees and sobbed in relief.

  


* * *

  


There was a light nearby, quite close. Not the yellow flame of earlier — it had gone away to join the larger group of lights — but a strange, darker flame that seemed to be both green and black at the same time. There was a reason why it was two different colors, but Billy couldn't remember it.

He was just now, gradually, becoming Billy again, aware of himself as more than just the blue flame. The cold, black void of cryogenic freeze was slowly dissipating, and he was slipping gently into the softer, lighter grey of normal sleep. He sighed contentedly, and the blue flame grew inside him to fill his entire being with a soft, comforting glow.

Faintly, as if from a million miles away, a voice crept into the fringes of Billy's awareness.

_"I thought that you were… Oh, Billy!"_ The voice itself was familiar, but the words were blurred and meaningless. Only the light made sense… the light of the black/green flame that the voice came from. It was warm and alive, glowing softly with the same Power as all the other flames… the same Power that burned blue within Billy himself.

He watched for a long time until the flame went away and another came to take its place. It was even stranger than the green and black flame, for it seemed to be made up of _three_ colors: a thin red halo encircling an inferno of pure, blazing white, with a hint of emerald lying deep down at the center. Other flames came and went after that: pink, yellow… even a blue flame like Billy's own, though it was blended with a tinge of red. They were all familiar and cherished, and with every one, the blue flame glowed a little brighter.

If he could have, Billy would have watched the lights forever. Eventually, though, his awareness of them faded and he slipped into dreams. He dreamed of vast oceans in turmoil; of strange, gentle beings and a tunnel in the stars. He saw a young man, green-eyed and sandy-haired, working side by side with one of the mysterious creatures. The young man was very, very familiar, but Billy didn't have a chance to think about it as the dreams went on, deep into the African night.


	7. Here Comes the Sun

Billy's friends divided into pairs and took turns watching him throughout the night. By dawn, Billy still hadn't awakened.

Tommy was dozing in a chair next to him, with his arms folded and his chin resting on his chest. Kimberly, who stood over him, smiled and gently pushed back the long dark hair that fell forward into his face. He looked relaxed for the first time in days, and Kimberly decided to let him sleep.

The pale light of dawn was beginning to creep into the tent, so Kimberly put out the lantern. After glancing briefly again at Billy and Tommy, she walked to the clinic entrance and looked outside.

Sunrise in the village was slow and beautiful, like a flower unfolding. It began with a pale golden light low in the sky, which was gradually joined by streaks of pink, lavender, and pale blue. Finally, as if it couldn't wait another second, the white-gold disk of the sun began gradually rising on the horizon, its dazzling brilliance bathing the whole world in light.

As she watched the spectacle, Kimberly wished fervently for a box of watercolors. She'd recently developed quite an interest in painting, and the sunrise would have been a perfect subject. She could almost see it, lovely in pinks and purples and golds, hanging in her room back at the gymnastics center. Instead, though, she would have to settle for simply watching. Kimberly leaned back against one of the support poles at the clinic entrance, her slender arms wrapped around herself to ward off the early morning breeze, and gazed at the sky.

Inside the clinic, Tommy yawned and sat up straight in his chair, rubbing his eyes. Glancing at Billy, he suddenly remembered where he was and scolded himself silently. _Great, Tom, you're really alert. Falling asleep on watch duty…_ Then again, considering the amount of sleep he'd gotten in the past couple of days — none, to be exact — it was understandable.

After a moment, Tommy realized that Kimberly had left the clinic. Spotting her just outside, he stood quietly and came up behind her. "Hey, beautiful," he said, wrapping his arms gently around her waist.

"Huh?" she responded in surprise, glancing over her shoulder. "Oh, Tommy." She sighed and leaned back into his embrace, letting her head rest comfortably on his shoulder.

"What's going on?" he asked her.

"Oh, I was just watching the sunrise. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Tommy looked out over the little village. A soft glow bathed everything in sight: the tour bus parked on the edge of camp, the rounded sides of the mud and grass huts, and the other Rangers who were asleep beside the smoldering campfire. Though the sun was up, a faint blush of pink still colored the horizon, and the sky was a brilliant blue. "Yeah," he replied finally. "It is beautiful."

"It's almost Trini and Katherine's turn, isn't it?" Kim asked after a moment.

"Uh-huh."

"That seems so weird," she remarked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean everybody here, together like this. Trini and the guys, Aisha, Kat… you… it's just strange to see everybody again."

"I know. But it's great, isn't it?" Tommy replied. "And in a way, we owe it to Billy. This reunion is happening because of him."

Kimberly smiled. "I just hope he'll be okay."

"Billy's tough," Tommy replied confidently. "He'll pull through."

"Yeah," said Kimberly happily. "You're right." She sighed in contentment and snuggled closer into Tommy's arms. "He's gonna be fine."

Tommy smiled. Kim was almost eternally optimistic, and her certainty had always served to bolster his own confidence in the past. This time, though, he shared it. They'd come too far to lose Billy now. He was going to be all right… he had to be.

  


* * *

  


A gentle breeze wafted through the clinic, ruffling Billy's hair. He sighed and opened his eyes, blinking slowly in confusion. _Where am I?_ he wondered drowsily.

He blinked some more and squinted, trying to clear his vision, but nothing happened. Everything seemed fuzzy and indistinct.

Billy realized that he was lying on his back, and there were blankets covering him. He felt as though every bit of strength had been drained from his body, and he didn't think he could move even if he'd wanted to. Even his fingers and toes seemed incredibly weak. There was a dull ache in his chest, which became a sharp pain whenever he breathed too deeply. He tried to take slow, shallow breaths, but once he forgot and took a deep lungful of air. Feeling as though his chest was being crushed, he winced in pain and groaned softly.

Billy closed his eyes and wished he could just go back to sleep, but that didn't seem to be an option. His chest hurt too much. Instead, he concentrated on lying absolutely still, trying not even to breathe. As he lay there, he thought he could hear voices somewhere nearby. They were speaking very softly, but he recognized them: Tommy and Kimberly.

_What? Kimberly?_ he asked himself, confused. _But she's in Florida…_

"Kimberly?" he called weakly. It came out as a hoarse croak, not at all the low, even tone he was used to.

Kim turned around. "Tommy, did you hear something?"

"Billy!" they both realized at once, and raced into the clinic. "Billy, you're awake!" Kimberly exclaimed excitedly when they reached his bedside.

Tommy squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "How are you feeling, man?"

"Ever been run over by a Zord?" Billy replied, smiling weakly.

Tommy grinned back. "Sore, huh?"

"I feel like there's somebody sitting on my chest."

"You've got Jason to thank for that," Tommy explained. "He and Trini did CPR on you yesterday."

Billy's eyes widened.

_CPR? Why?_ he thought, and then answered himself, _In response to cardiac arrest, obviously._ Only then did the rest of Tommy's statement hit him.

"Wait a minute… _Jason?_ Trini? What are they doing here?"

"We're not in Angel Grove," Kimberly told him gently. "This is Africa."

"Africa…" Billy echoed, and winced painfully. All this talking wasn't helping his injuries.

"We're in Aisha's village," said Tommy. "Jason, Trini, and Zack came here on the peace tour. It was those four who found you."

"Found me?"

"In the escape pod. Can't you remember?"

"Well…" Billy tried to concentrate on remembering, and found that it helped take his mind off the pain. "I remember leaving Aquitar, and being on my way home. Then something happened, and the ship was… something was wrong with the ship?" He sounded very uncertain.

"You were attacked by Quadrafighters," Tommy prompted. "Your ship was crippled."

"Right… crippled," Billy repeated. "Not enough oxygen. So I… I built an escape pod. A special one, with… coolant? I remember being really cold, and scared. Then… then…" He frowned, searching for the memory. "I don't know. I can't remember any more. Except… the light."

"Light?" Tommy and Kimberly exchanged glances. "What kind of light?" Kimberly asked.

Billy's eyes took on a faraway look. "It was like a candle flame," he said after a moment, his voice very soft. "Except… brighter. And it was blue."

"Blue? You mean, like Blue Ranger blue?" Kimberly asked, confused.

"Yes, exactly."

"But how is that possible?" Tommy countered. "I mean, your powers are gone."

"I know," Billy replied, almost inaudibly. "I guess… I guess I can't explain it." He coughed suddenly, and agony shot through his chest. "Owwww," he moaned, his voice ragged. "This is getting worse."

"We'd better get Rachel," Kimberly said, looking worriedly at him and then at Tommy.

"Who's Rachel?" Billy asked weakly, while he tried desperately to concentrate on something other than the pain. _The area of the circle is equal to pi times the square of the radius,_ he recited to himself. _The periodic table begins with hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen…_

"Rachel's the doctor," Kimberly was explaining, though Billy barely heard her. "Well, sort of. She works with Aisha." Kimberly paused for a moment. "Oh my gosh! Aisha!"

"Huh?" said Tommy. "Aisha?"

"Not just her, everybody! We forgot to get the others!" Kimberly dashed out to the campfire, where the other Rangers were sleeping. "Guys! Guys, wake up!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" Kat sat up and yawned. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kimberly. It's my turn to watch, isn't it?"

"Forget watching! He's awake!" That statement woke everybody up.

"What's going on?" asked Rocky sleepily.

"Billy's awake!" Kimberly told them again, and then hurried to get Rachel.

"Awake?" Trini repeated when Kimberly had gone. "Billy's…" Shoving her blanket aside, Trini got up and went flying into the clinic. "Billy!" she shrieked excitedly, rushing to his side. "Billy, you're awake! You're okay!"

"Trini?!" Billy choked out in disbelief. Despite his blurred vision, there was no mistaking Trini's long, black hair and musical voice. She sat down next to him and took his left hand in both of hers.

Sensing movement behind him, Tommy turned and saw that the other Rangers, except for Kimberly, had also entered the clinic. They hung back near the entrance, their faces bright with relief and excitement. Tommy grinned and flashed them a thumbs-up, then turned back to Billy.

"Are you all right?" Trini was asking him. "How do you feel?"

"Not too good," Billy admitted, in a voice tight with pain. "It really…" He broke off, his face twisting into a grimace as another sharp pain pierced his chest and side.

"Billy!" Trini exclaimed, frightened. "What's wrong?"

"We think it's from the CPR," Tommy told her in a gentle voice. "Kim's getting Rachel to check."

Billy gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile, trying not to worry Trini too much. She squeezed his hand tightly and returned the smile, though her dark eyes were filled with worry and fear.

Just then, Kimberly and Rachel arrived. The small crowd at the clinic entrance parted to let them in, and then they all gathered around Billy's bed.

_So much for not mobbing him,_ thought Kimberly, remembering the previous night. Billy, though, seemed glad to see them.

"I can't believe you guys are all here!" he said, looking up at the ten smiling faces — eleven, counting Rachel — that surrounded him.

"Why wouldn't we be here?" replied Jason.

"Well… you guys are spread out all over the world! Why would you all bother to come to a little place like this?"

"Because this is where you are," Adam said quietly. "You're important to us, Billy."

"You had us all worried," added Tanya with a warm smile.

"Yeah, even Bulk and Skull!" said Rocky with a laugh. "They've been going around telling people that you were abducted by aliens!"

"Which isn't that far from the truth," Kat murmured.

Tommy glanced over at Rachel, but she didn't seem to have noticed the remark. She was kneeling on the ground, rummaging under the table for her medical bag. After a moment, she found it and stood up. "Good morning, Billy," she said brightly. "It's good to see you awake."

"I'm starting to wish I wasn't," Billy replied weakly, wincing at another sharp pain, "but thanks anyway."

"Guess I should introduce myself, huh?" Rachel said, giving him a cheerful smile. "Rachel McCormick. I'm the veterinary researcher here at the clinic."

"'Veterinary?'" Billy repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry. The elephants say I'm really great." She laughed. "And I'm also an EMT."

Billy grinned. Something about the young researcher's cheerful attitude was reassuring. "I'm Billy Russell," he introduced himself, though Rachel already seemed to know that. "And I think the elephants were right."

Rachel laughed at that. Billy knew laughing would be an excruciating experience, so he settled for smiling, a tight smile that couldn't quite hide the pain he was in. Rachel didn't fail to notice. "So, I heard you were having some pain in your chest," she said, getting down to business.

Billy nodded mutely. _"Some" pain? Talk about an understatement,_ he thought, wincing as he breathed just a little too deeply for comfort.

"Let me take a look."

She gently undid the front of his shirt — not a difficult task, since Jason had popped several of the buttons off the day before — and examined his chest and sides.

Billy closed his eyes and tried not to cry out — the pain was getting much, much worse, and all his efforts to concentrate on something else had stopped working.

"Just what I expected," Rachel concluded after a moment. "You've got badly bruised ribs. A couple might even be cracked."

Jason looked down sheepishly.

"Oh, it's not your fault, Jason," Rachel assured him. "This is common with CPR. He really should be in a hospital, though… I'm not equipped or qualified to deal with broken ribs."

"Can't you do anything?" Trini asked worriedly. "It's really hurting him."

Billy smiled inwardly. Trini's warm concern was nothing new — she'd always looked out for him back when she lived in Angel Grove — but he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it.

"I'm going to give you something for the pain, Billy," Rachel told him, preparing a syringe. "It might make you a little drowsy, okay?"

"Okay," Billy murmured.

"Ugh," Zack said uneasily, squinching his eyes shut as Rachel gave Billy the injection. "Needles freak me out!"

"You haven't changed at all, have you, Zack?" Kimberly laughed.

As the others talked, Aisha reached over and tapped Tommy on the shoulder.

"What?"

She beckoned him aside, and he could tell she had an idea. "Isn't there a bunch of medical equipment in the Command Center?" she whispered when they were standing near the tent entrance.

Tommy's face lit up in realization. "Yeah, all kinds of stuff," he replied. "Do you think any of it would do Billy any good?"

"Can't hurt to try," Aisha said, shrugging.

Tommy nodded eagerly. "I'll go call Alpha," he said, and quietly left the clinic.

Meanwhile, Rachel was still checking Billy over. He felt the cool metal of a stethoscope on his chest as she listened to his breathing, and then she took his pulse, blood pressure, and temperature. The latter had risen considerably since he'd been found, which Rachel was relieved to see. "Well, other than your ribs," she said finally, "everything seems okay. You're a lucky guy, Billy."

Billy smiled faintly. Whatever she had given him was beginning to take effect, and he could feel himself starting to drift as the pain became a distant haze. He closed his eyes and felt Trini caressing his hair.

"Um, Rachel," Aisha said tentatively, seeing that Tommy had returned, "could we talk to Billy for a couple of minutes?"

"Well, sure, if he's up to talking," Rachel replied.

"No, what I meant was…" Aisha looked pointedly at the entrance.

"Oh." Rachel was confused, but then, everything about Aisha's mysterious friends was a bit confusing. She put her bag away under the table and left.

"What was that all about?" asked Kat when Rachel had gone.

"We just needed to get her out of here for a minute," explained Tommy, taking out a strange electronic device he'd had hidden under his shirt.

"What's that?" Zack asked.

"One of Alpha's medical thingamajigs," Tommy replied, unsure what the device was actually called. "I had him teleport it here for Billy."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Rocky said. "Anybody know how to use that thing?"

Adam stepped forward and took the device from Tommy. The Red Ranger realized that his friend was really smiling, for the first time in days.

"No problem," Adam said.


	8. Here Kitty Kitty

The afternoon heat was oppressive. Tanya, who was used to it, didn't notice as she idly leafed through Billy's chemistry book. Billy had been delighted that morning when Rocky gave him the battered, scorched textbook… and that mood had been shared by all the Rangers. Everyone was excited about Billy's recovery, and they'd stayed by his side all morning.

By comparison, the clinic now seemed quiet and empty. Rachel and Aisha had gone off on their daily field observations, and everyone else had gone to take care of Billy's escape pod. Only Tanya and Kat had stayed behind with Billy… and he was asleep, so nothing much was going on. Tanya had spent the last hour reading, while Kat amused herself by exploring the clinic.

Tanya had just learned the difference between esters and ethers when Rachel and Aisha walked in.

"Hey, guys," said Aisha cheerfully, as she began putting up their gear. "Where is everybody?"

"They went out to where you guys found Billy yesterday," replied Katherine. "They were going to see about moving the pod."

"Everybody went?" Aisha asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Tanya replied. "I thought they'd never get Adam and Trini out of here! Billy finally convinced them that he'd be all right, and they needed to go."

Aisha nodded. Besides Billy, only Trini and Adam knew enough about the teleporter to move something as big as the escape pod. They'd need to find precise coordinates so Alpha could get a lock.

"Speaking of Billy, how's he doing?" Rachel asked.

"Better," said Tanya. She glanced over at the sleeping teen, and smiled at the peaceful look on his face. "I think he's getting his strength back… he was sitting up for a while. He's been sleeping a lot, though."

"I'm not surprised. He's been through a lot. And the medication I gave him this morning was pretty strong."

"No kidding!" said Kat. "I think it was a little too strong! He keeps talking about seeing colored lights or something."

"Yeah, I heard him this morning," Rachel said. "I can't figure out why, either. That really shouldn't happen…" She trailed off, staring at Kat.

"What are you doing?" she asked in an incredulous tone. Katherine was sitting on a mat on the ground, next to the cages that lined one wall of the tent. That in itself wasn't unusual. What Rachel hadn't noticed before was that one of the cages was open, and its occupant, a furry beige creature, was curled up in Kat's lap.

"I was just playing with him," Kat said. "Should I have asked first?"

"N-no," answered Rachel in surprise. "I don't mind… but you do realize that's a lion cub, don't you?"

Kat nodded. "Isn't he adorable?" The young lion made what was almost a purring sound, and snuggled up against the girl's fuzzy pink sweater.

"He usually isn't this friendly with strangers," Rachel commented. "I'm surprised he even let you pick him up."

"Oh, I didn't," Kat said. "He just climbed into my lap when I opened the cage."

"She gets along really well with cats," Aisha explained, with a grin in Katherine's direction. Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief and the memory of chasing a certain white house cat around the yard.

"Why is he in the clinic?" Tanya asked, looking at the young lion. "He doesn't look sick."

"He's not," Rachel replied. "C.C. is as healthy as he can get."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "C.C.?"

"Clinic Cat," Rachel explained. "Aisha named him."

"I see." Kat glanced at Aisha, who merely grinned and gave a little shrug.

"We brought C.C. here after his mother died," continued Rachel. "He was too young to care for himself in the wild, so we were going to raise him here. Then we discovered that he seems to be immune to the plague."

"That's our main project right now," Aisha added. "If we can figure out what make C.C. immune, we might be able to come up with a cure for the other animals."

"Well, C.C., it sounds like you're pretty important around here," Kat told the cub, giving it an affectionate scratch behind the ears. It mewed as if in agreement, and the girls laughed.

  


* * *

  


High above in the Machine Skybase, Queen Machina fought down nausea. "Laughter… ugh! And the way they're fawning over that dreadful creature is positively disgusting!" She turned away from the viewscreen with a rustling of skirts, and began to fan herself furiously.

_I'm certainly glad Mondo hasn't been in here for a while,_ the queen reflected. There had been enough love and caring coming over the viewscreen in the past few hours to make anyone ill. It certainly would not have improved the Machine King's mood.

"It was bad enough when they were all worried about their friend," Machina muttered, "but now they have to go and fuss over that… that _animal_ as well!" The queen shuddered.

Klank, who'd been lurking silently in a corner of the room, stepped forward to address the queen. "But don't ye see, Yer Majesty?" the bronze and silver robot began. "That cub could present a great opportunity for us!"

"I hardly see how."

"Think about it, Yer Majesty. What if that cub were to suddenly turn against the Rangers?"

Machina did a double take. "No. You don't mean… _That_ hideous creature?!"

"T'would be the perfect monster, Yer Majesty," Klank replied. "Those Ranger lassies wouldnae lay a hand on it! They'd be afraid of hurtin' the cub."

"But… a monster? _That?"_ Machina gestured towards the viewer, making no effort to hide her distaste. "It's so… _soft_ and… and _cuddly."_

"Aye, but I'm sure ye can change that. When that wee little cub has been transformed into a cyborg, t'will be unstoppable! We can capture Billy _and_ destroy the Rangers!"

Machina considered for a moment. It wasn't especially difficult to transform living creatures into monsters, although she and Mondo had never tried it. It should be an interesting challenge for the monster labs… and seeing the looks on the Rangers' faces as their sweet little pet attacked them _would_ be fun.

Mind made up, she turned back to Klank. "Tell the labs to prepare for a new project," she commanded. "I'll be sending their subject along shortly."

"Aye, Yer Majesty." There was satisfaction in Klank's voice as he bowed and left the room.

Machina turned again to look into the viewer. Instead of disgust, though, she now regarded the happy scene with smug anticipation. "Laugh while you can, Rangers," she addressed the images of Kat and Tanya. "Soon, my CyberKitty will put an end to your happiness once and for all!"

  


* * *

  


"This is a blood sample from one of the zebras that was here yesterday," Rachel explained, preparing a microscope slide. For the past hour, she and Aisha had been doing some lab work as Tanya and Katherine watched. Billy was still asleep.

Kat bent to look into the microscope. "What will you do with it?" she asked curiously.

"I'm going to test this sample with some of C.C.'s blood," replied Rachel. "Watching for changes in the sample might tell us what's causing this disease." The veterinarian went to a drawer and took out some equipment. "Kat," she said over her shoulder, "would you bring C.C. over here, please?"

"Oh, sure." Katherine got up and went to the cage. She bent down to open it and gasped. "He's gone!"

"What?" Aisha was there in an instant. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know," Katherine replied in agitation, her blue eyes filled with worry. "The cage was locked."

"We'd better start looking for him," Rachel said grimly. "Who knows how long he's been gone." She stepped outside the clinic.

"What the-?!" She dashed back inside, her face pale.

"What's the matter?" Tanya asked, seeing Rachel's expression.

"There's… there's something out there!" the veterinarian said simply. "I don't know what they are!"

"'They?'" Tanya went to the entrance and looked out. A short distance away, the bright sunlight gleamed on silver bodies and golden heads. Tanya turned quickly to Kat and Aisha. "Cogs!"

"Oh, no!" Kat got to her feet quickly, followed by Aisha. The two girls joined Tanya at the entrance, and looked out to see a group of fifteen or twenty Cogs.

"What are those things?" Rachel demanded.

"There's no time to explain!" replied Kat. "Stay here with Billy!"

"But where are you…"

They were already gone.

  


* * *

  


Jason, Tommy, Zack, Kimberly, Trini, Rocky, and Adam were on their way back to the village, after having teleported Billy's escape pod safely to the Power Chamber. They were almost to the village when Zack suddenly stopped.

"What's up, man?" Tommy asked.

Zack was frowning. "Do you hear something?"

Tommy and the others all stopped and listened for a moment. There was a faint mechanical sound, like badly oiled gears, coming from somewhere nearby. "What is that?" Kimberly wondered.

Suddenly Rocky shouted, "Cogs!"

The teens all looked in the direction of camp, where Rocky was pointing. About halfway between the research clinic and where they stood, a group of the Machine Empire's mechanized soldiers were milling around. An instant later, Kat, Tanya, and Aisha came running out of the clinic to face the Cogs.

"Come on, guys!" Tommy ordered. The seven teens ran down the hill to join the girls.

"Glad to see you guys!" Aisha said in greeting as she dodged a punch from one of the Cogs. "Care to join the party?"

"You bet!" Adam replied, throwing another Cog to the ground. He glanced at Tommy. "Ready?"

"Right!" Tommy answered. "It's morphin time!"

Rocky, Tanya, Kat, and Adam moved to join him, summoning their Zeonizers.

"Zeo Ranger One, Pink!"

"Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow!"

"Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!"

"Zeo Ranger Four, Green!"

"Zeo Ranger Five, Red!"

"Power Rangers, Ze-O!" The five Zeo Rangers, now clad in their respective uniforms, saluted in unison.

The five former Rangers stared in amazement. "Wow," Trini breathed. "Things really have changed."

"Let's do it!" the figure in red — Tommy — exclaimed. The Rangers charged into the group of Cogs, which seemed to have multiplied since the moment before. Karate yells and metallic clangs filled the savanna.

"What are we waiting for, guys?" Jason said to Kimberly, Trini, Zack, and Aisha. "Come on!"

"Right!" They, too, raced into the melee. Rocky had his arm-blades out, and was felling Cogs left and right when Jason and Zack came somersaulting over his head.

"What are you guys doing?" the Blue Zeo Ranger yelled over the din.

"Trying to help!" Zack shouted back, knocking a Cog down with a powerful side kick.

"Without powers? The Cogs are too strong!"

"We did it before!" Spinning around, Jason caught another Cog by the arm and hurled it toward Rocky, whose Power Weapons made short work of the robot. "We're with you to the end!"


	9. The Obligatory Ten Minutes of Sentai Footage

It started with ten pinpricks of light, glowing like rainbow-colored beacons in the darkness. The blue flame glowed with them, content and secure in the Power they shared.

Then suddenly, the Power surged white-hot, and five of the lights exploded into pillars of flame. Red, green, blue, yellow, and pink raced outward in a shock wave of burning intensity that made everything else seem dim by comparison. The other five flames, though they remained small, nevertheless brightened; as if the Power touched them in some special way that was different from the way it touched all the billions and billions of colorless lights throughout the Universe. The blue flame was affected in the same way, burning a brilliant sapphire as it yearned to join the others. The whole spectacle defied imagination. It seemed as if the entire world had suddenly exploded into color…

  


* * *

  


Billy jerked awake, his heart pounding. A flood of adrenaline obliterated every trace of the sedative he'd been given that morning, and he sat trembling as he realized what had just taken place.

"They morphed," he whispered. "They morphed, and I felt it somehow…" He looked around and saw that the clinic was empty, except for himself and Rachel. The veterinarian was standing at the entrance, looking at something outside. Something about her posture, the way she kept behind the edge of the tent flap, made it seem almost as if she was hiding from something.

"Rachel?" he ventured. "What's happening?"

Rachel jumped at the unexpected voice. For one irrational moment, she thought that the gold things had somehow gotten into the clinic. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that it had merely been Billy, who was sitting up in bed with a very confused look on his face.

Quickly composing herself as she approached him, she said, "Billy, you're awake? How are you feeling?"

"What's happening?" he repeated. He could hear shouting and metallic clangs coming from somewhere nearby, and had a sinking suspicion that he knew exactly what it was.

"Um… nothing," Rachel hedged. "You should try to get some more rest."

"Rachel, there's something out there! Will you please tell me what's going on?"

She sighed and glanced over her shoulder again. "Cogs," she said finally. "At least, that's what your friend Tanya called them."

"Are they all right? My friends, I mean?"

Rachel managed a grin. "You mean, the Power Rangers?" Seeing Billy's shocked expression, she continued, "Come on, give me some credit! It was a little hard to miss."

Billy was gaping. "How — how did you find out?"

"Well, my first clue was when they started glowing, transformed into colored costumes, and yelled 'Power Rangers,'" the veterinarian replied.

Billy gave a sheepish smile. "I suppose that would tend to arouse suspicion, wouldn't it?"

"Just a little," Rachel said, smiling back. "Anyway, to answer your question, they're all okay, I think. They're outside trying to fight those things off."

Billy tensed at the word 'fight.' He knew it was completely irrational, but he couldn't help it. The blue flame was blazing hotly inside him, tugging at something deep within his soul as if yearning to join the battle.

_Don't be stupid,_ he told himself. _Going out there would be suicidal._

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked Rachel, mainly to distract himself.

"Kat told me to stay here," the young woman replied. "I really wasn't expecting you to wake up." There was a lengthy pause as Rachel stared toward the entrance. The presence of the Cogs obviously had her worried.

"Rachel?" he said questioningly.

"Oh! Sorry." She turned back to him, her grey eyes troubled. "Are they… I mean, how dangerous are those things?"

Billy shrugged. "The others say they're really strong, but not hard to destroy. I don't know, I've never fought them myself."

"You haven't?" Rachel's face wore a confused expression. "But I thought all the Power Rangers fought monsters."

Billy looked away from her questioning gaze. "I'm not a Ranger," he told her.

"You're not?" Rachel frowned. "But I thought… What about the blue flame?"

Billy stared at her incredulously. "How do you know about that?" He had only told a few of his friends, and even they hadn't seemed to believe it…

"You've been talking about it all day," she replied. "I assumed it was just the medication, until I found out about your friends being Power Rangers. Then I thought it must have had something to do with them."

Billy knew what she was getting at. "I used to be one," he said simply.

Rachel wasn't sure how to respond to that. Billy's statement left her with a million questions, but he didn't seem inclined to elaborate. "Do you want to talk about it?" she ventured. Billy shook his head quickly.

"No… it's okay."

It didn't sound okay, but Rachel wasn't going to press the issue. They sank into an uncomfortable silence, only punctuated by the sounds of the battle outside.

  


* * *

  


Outside the clinic, the present and former Rangers had their hands full. Cogs filled the area between the clinic and the ridge, and it was all the teens could do to fight them off.

Kimberly and Trini fought back to back, letting the Cogs come to them. There was definitely no shortage — the robots were everywhere. They were much stronger than the Putties the girls were used to, but not too difficult to beat after they'd figured out where the sensitive spots were.

"Yah!" Kimberly kicked one Cog hard in the shin, then lunged forward as it stumbled. Her small hands dug into the exposed wiring between its neck and shoulder, and sparks flew as she tore the vital connections loose. The damaged Cog staggered a few feet and then dropped to the ground, convulsing with short-circuits.

Trini tried to do the same, but as she reached for her intended target on a Cog's shoulder, it suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled upward. Trini was yanked off her feet and flipped over the Cog's shoulder, landing hard on her back. As she lay on the ground with the wind knocked out of her, the Cog turned, poised to smash its steel fist into her face.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Tanya sailed through the air in a yellow blur, planting her feet directly in the chest of Trini's attacker.

"Thanks," Trini gasped as the Yellow Zeo Ranger helped her up. Tanya smiled behind her helmet. "No problem." She looked up sharply, seeing that the Cog she had kicked was up again. "Trini, behind you!"

Trini spun instantly, her lightning-fast kick catching the Cog in the side of the head. Already damaged, it crackled with electricity and collapsed.

"Yeah!" Yellow Rangers past and present shared a triumphant high-five.

  


* * *

  


Tommy and Adam performed nearly identical spin kicks, smashing the same Cog from opposite directions. Even before the first robot had fallen, Adam went after two others, his Power Axes at the ready.

"Wanna play, huh?" the Green Ranger taunted. The Cog on the right lunged for him, and he slashed at it with his axes — stretching out a leg at the same time to trip the other one.

Tommy, meanwhile, had become surrounded. He destroyed the Cogs in front of him first, then did a back flip over the ones behind him. He landed a few feet away and then leapt into the air again, shouting, "Zeo Five Power Kick!" The wall of red energy that accompanied his downward flight slammed four Cogs into rubble.

Tommy looked up in time to see Kimberly headed his way. She executed a series of whipbacks and then a high somersault that landed her right on top of a Cog. As it sizzled into spare parts, she whipped around in a pirouette and yanked the circuits from another. "Hey, awesome moves, Kim!" Tommy complimented.

"It's part of my floor routine for Pan-Globals," she replied with a grin.

"Well, if I could, I'd give you a gold medal right now!"

"No time for that!" Kimberly pointed at another group of Cogs that were heading toward them.

"Right! Zeo Power Sword!"

Kimberly stepped back as Tommy charged the Cogs with his star-handled sword. The Rangers were making headway, she noticed, but there were still a lot of Cogs left. This was shaping up to be one heck of a fight.

  


* * *

  


Katherine used her Power Shield to deflect a Cog's eyebeams. A shower of sparks resulted, but the Pink Ranger was untouched. "Missed me!" she teased. She threw her shield like a Frisbee, hitting the Cog dead center before it could fire again. The robot convulsed and disintegrated as the Power Shield sailed back into Kat's gloved hands.

Meanwhile, on the hilltop above Kat, Aisha was facing off with several Cogs that had broken off from the main group. "Hyah! Take that, metalhead!" she exclaimed, side-kicking a Cog in the chest. Another Cog came charging toward her, but she dive-rolled between its legs and came up behind it. She grabbed its arms and swung it around toward the edge of the hill.

"Katherine!" Aisha called.

The Pink Zeo Ranger kicked a Cog aside, then looked up and nodded, instantly seeing what Aisha had in mind. "Right!"

"So long, steelface!" Aisha hurled her prisoner down the hillside toward Kat.

When the Cog arrived, Kat was ready for it. "Zeo One, Pink Fire Cloud!" She gathered together all her energy and hurled it in a flaming mass of Pink, obliterating the Cog.

On the hilltop, Aisha stood with her hands on her hips and a satisfied smile. "Don't you know the metallic look is out?"

  


* * *

  


Queen Machina watched the Cogs with disgust. She had sent a small army of the robots, and yet they were being utterly obliterated. Something obviously had to be done about it.

"Klank!" she ordered suddenly, snapping her fan shut as she turned from the viewer. "Take CyberKitty and get down there! We cannot allow those Zeo Zeros to gain the upper hand!"

"Yes, milady, right away!" Klank made a low bow and hurried from the room. "Come on, Orbus!"

Machina watched them go, and then turned back to the viewer with a smile. It was time for her monster-making debut… time to put an end to the Power Rangers.

  


* * *

  


There were only a few Cogs left, and they had gathered on the far side of the field to form a small defensive group. The Rangers had them completely surrounded, and were closing in when there was a sudden crack of thunder.

"Oh, no!" warned Kimberly, who was on the far side of the circle. "Look out, you guys!"

"Huh?" Tommy turned, just in time to see a gigantic orange fireball heading straight for him. With a surprised yell, he dove out of the way, and the fireball instead took out a couple of Cogs.

"Man! Where'd that come from?" Tommy asked as Jason helped him up.

"Over here, Rangers!" came a strange, growly voice. The teenagers turned to see what looked like an eight-foot-tall lion standing on its hind legs. It was covered with pieces of metal armor that glinted in the hot sun, and tubes and wires snaked out of its body at odd points.

"Man, that is one messed-up cat!" remarked Zack.

"I am CyberKitty!" the monster proclaimed. "Prepare to be destroyed!"

"Oh, no," complained Adam. "Not another cat monster." Belatedly, he glanced back at the Pink Ranger, who merely shrugged.

"That's no ordinary cat," Tanya observed. "It looks more like a lion."

"Tanya, that's it!" Kat realized. "It's got to be C.C.!"

"C.C.?" Rocky repeated in bewilderment. "Who's that?"

"The lion cub from the clinic," explained Kat. "He disappeared right before the Cogs attacked."

"But if it is C.C., we can't hurt him!" Aisha protested. "He's just a baby!"

"We don't have a choice," Tommy said grimly. "There are too many innocent people in the village for us to risk this thing going on a rampage."

"Tommy's right," put in Kimberly. "Besides, if Mondo's monsters are anything like Zedd's, C.C. should be fine after the spell is broken."

"Are you Power Punks going to discuss this all day," the monster growled impatiently, "or can we get down to business?"

"Be careful what you wish for!" Tommy said threateningly, as Adam, Kat, Tanya, and Rocky dashed to his side. He glanced quickly over at them. "The Zeo Blaster should take care of this cub!"

"Not so fast, Rangers!" came a thick Scottish brogue. "Our wee CyberKitty won't be a cub fer long!"

"Klank!" Tanya pointed to where the robot stood on the side of the hill, just preparing to hurl little Orbus into the air.

"And around and around and awaaaaay we goooo!" Klank let his partner fly, and the little robot landed on CyberKitty with a metallic 'clang.' Immediately, he began transferring the energy beam that would increase the monster's size and power.

"Get ready to roar!" Orbus squeaked.

There was a series of blinding flashes as the monster expanded. The Zeo Rangers could only barely stand to watch through the protective visors on their helmets, and the others had to look away, shielding their eyes. When the electric-blue light faded away, all ten of the teenagers looked up to see CyberKitty, now hundreds of feet tall, towering over them.

Trini glanced from CyberKitty to the others. "What now?"

"The Zeo Megazord will take care of this," Tommy said in a determined voice.

"But what about the Cogs?" Katherine gestured at the handful that were left. The lull in the fighting had given them a chance to spread out, so they were no longer the easy target they had been a few moments earlier.

"We'll clean up those metalheads," said Jason, drawing nods of agreement from Zack, Aisha, Trini, and Kim. "You guys just concentrate on CyberKitty."

"You sure, bro?" Tommy asked with concern.

"We can handle it," Jason replied confidently.

Tommy nodded slowly. "All right." The friends slapped hands, and then stepped back to join their respective groups.

Tommy, Adam, Rocky, Tanya, and Kat raised their hands to the sky. "We need ZeoZord power, _now!"_

From halfway around the world, the mighty ZeoZords answered the call, taking only a moment longer to respond than they would have in Angel Grove. The Rangers leaped up to meet them, their bodies vanishing into brilliant streaks of color as the Power enhanced their jump.

Materializing in the cockpit of his PhoenixZord, Tommy quickly checked over the controls and power readings. Satisfied, he opened the comm channel to the other Rangers. "We're gonna need the Megazord for this, guys," he said. "Power up your Zeonizer crystals!"

"Right!" the other four replied. Each Ranger inserted his or her crystal into the control panel.

"Initiating Zeo Megazord assembly," Tommy called, "now!"

Machina's monster watched with derision as the ZeoZords began to come together. "You think that's gonna save you?"

The Rangers ignored it.

"Docking complete," Tommy announced as the Phoenixzord locked into place. A moment later, he was on the Megazord's bridge, where the others were waiting.

"Let's do it!" they shouted in unison.

The Megazord approached CyberKitty, which didn't budge a foot from its position. The two goliaths met and locked hands on each other's shoulders, beginning a rather pointless shoving contest that went on for nearly a full minute. Then, Megazord broke the standoff with a kick to CyberKitty's midsection. The lion was so heavily armored that the blow didn't do much damage, but it did knock the monster back a few steps.

"You'll have to do better than that!" it growled, and threw a roundhouse punch at the Megazord's head.

"So will you!" retorted Tommy, as the Zord easily blocked the punch. Unfortunately, there was no time to react to CyberKitty's followup: an identical punch from the opposite side. Megazord went sprawling, and all five Rangers were suddenly glad that there was nothing to hit in the savanna.


	10. Really Graphic Scenes of Dismemberment (or Ten More Minutes of Sentai)

Billy and Rachel sat in silence as the battle raged outside. Neither had spoken since Rachel asked about the blue flame, but both were lost in thought.

_Why didn't you tell her more?_ Billy asked himself. For months, he had desperately wanted someone… _anyone_… to talk to. So much had been happening, and he needed so badly to make sense of it all. Now, especially, he was confused. The blue flame had made him wonder whether maybe, just maybe, there might be a second chance out there. He couldn't talk to any of the Rangers about it… he was afraid of hurting them, especially Tanya. But nothing he could say would hurt Rachel, and the veterinarian had actually been willing to listen. Yet he hadn't told her anything.

Rachel watched Billy curiously. She didn't know much about the young man, but she found herself liking him. He seemed like a nice kid, even though his reticence annoyed her. _It's really none of your business,_ she reminded herself. Still, she wished he would open up a little. She could tell that his non-Ranger status was a sensitive subject, and she seriously doubted any of his friends knew just how sensitive.

Rachel's contemplation was cut short by a strange noise coming from right outside the clinic. She looked up with a puzzled expression. "What was that?"

Billy frowned, listening. "Sounds like…" He was interrupted by Rachel's sudden scream, as a Cog appeared in the doorway. "Cogs!" Billy finished. He scrambled out of bed and stanced defensively as five more of the robotic soldiers came into the tent.

Rachel glanced around wildly for a moment, her gaze finally coming to rest on the metal stool she'd been sitting on. She picked it up and swung it with all her strength at the nearest Cog, knocking it down.

As the other robots approached, she stepped protectively in front of Billy. The teenager seemed more than willing to take on the Cogs, but Rachel knew he was in no shape for a fight. She continued to fend off the intruders with the stool, the clashing of metal on metal almost drowning out the sounds of the battle outside. Soon, the floor of the clinic was littered with bits and pieces of the Machine soldiers.

Then, she hit one of them a little too hard, and the stool broke. Rachel threw it at her attacker, destroying it. Another Cog punched at her, but she ducked and grabbed its arm, twisting it backwards.

"Go for the neck!" Billy told her.

Rachel looked at the Cog's neck and spotted a few bundles of colored wire peeking out. With her free hand, she reached up and tore them with all her might. Electricity stung her fingertips, and she stepped quickly away from the Cog as it collapsed.

Only one Cog remained. Billy knocked it down with a sweep kick, and then stomped hard on its shoulder, grinding his foot down on the exposed wiring. The Cog convulsed with electricity and then vanished.

Billy quickly surveyed the room and saw that all the Cogs were gone. "We've got to get out of here," he told Rachel. "Something tells me they won't give up that easily."

Just then, more Cogs began appearing in the clinic. "Something tells me you were right!" Rachel exclaimed, as she and Billy ran out the back of the clinic with the Cogs in pursuit. Behind them, the battle raged on; ahead of them, Ishala and a Peace Tour supervisor were herding a frightened group of villagers and teen ambassadors toward the tour bus.

_At least they should be safe,_ thought Billy. He wasn't so sure about himself and Rachel. They couldn't go to the bus — they'd be leading the Cogs straight into a group of innocent people. They couldn't turn and fight, either — he was too weak and Rachel too inexperienced for either of them to last long.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, shaken by the Zord battle going on nearby. Billy stumbled once and almost fell, but caught himself in time and kept on without a word.

Rachel kept a cautious eye on her companion. He wanted her to think he was fine, but she knew otherwise. Though his broken ribs seemed inexplicably healed, he still wasn't 100 percent recovered. She only hoped they could outrun the Cogs before he dropped from exhaustion.

Suddenly, a violet hole opened in the sky, and a Cog dropped directly into their path. Billy skidded to a halt, and quickly blocked the punch the robot threw at him. "Rachel, run!" he ordered. "I'll catch up with you!"

Rachel hesitated. Miraculous recovery or not, Billy was in no condition to be taking on Cogs.

"Go!" he told her again.

Rachel reluctantly obeyed. "Be careful!" she shouted back as she ran. Rachel searched frantically for a means of escape. She knew running to the bus was out of the question, but there had to be _somewhere_ to go. On an impulse, she dashed for the large, circular hut where the villagers held community gatherings.

"Rachel, no!" shouted Billy, as he caught a glimpse of the young woman running into a hut with a group of Cogs hot on her heels. "You'll be trapped!"

Either she didn't hear him, or it was too late, for Rachel vanished into the hut, followed by the Cogs. Meanwhile, the Cog that Billy was fighting took advantage of his distraction to deliver a staggering blow to the teen's midsection. Billy doubled over painfully, gasping for breath, and barely managed to block the next few punches.

He made a grab for the exposed wiring, which had been the downfall of so many Cogs, but this one was more careful. As Billy reached for the vulnerable area, the Cog caught his arm and flipped him over.

Billy went limp and allowed himself to be flung to the ground like a rag doll. Pain jolted through him as he slammed down on his back, but he managed not to cry out. He lay still and watched through half-closed eyes as the Cog peered down at him.

"Target has been captured," the robot said to thin air. "What are your orders?"

Silence followed, and Billy assumed the Cog was receiving instructions from the Machine Skybase. If he was going to do something, he had to do it fast.

"Acknowledged," the Cog said after a moment. "Ready to tele—" Billy lashed out with a powerful kick that caught the Cog right under its chin.

The robot's head snapped sharply back, and the Cog nearly fell backwards, but managed to right itself. It staggered around rather spectacularly for a moment, clutching both hands to its head as bolts of electricity coursed through it and sparks flew everywhere.

Without warning, the Cog's head fell right off of its body and landed next to Billy with a hollow thud — followed a moment later by the dull crash of the headless body dropping to the ground.

"Prodigious!" Billy stared in utter amazement at the headless Cog. He hadn't thought he'd hit it _that_ hard.

As he stood and dusted himself off, Billy was nearly overwhelmed by the sensation of the blue flame within him. It had grown bigger and brighter than before, and seemed to be pulling at his insides as it strained to reach beyond itself. Billy recognized the sensation from a thousand Putty and Tenga fights when he hadn't bothered to morph. The little flame was reaching out to tap the Power, trying to give Billy the extra boost he needed. It was reaching for a power that wasn't there, trying to open the floodgates of the once-boundless blue ocean that had dried up and vanished like a mirage in the desert. It was trying so hard, for so impossible a goal, that he actually felt sorry for it.

_Whoaaa, Billy. Reality check!_ he told himself. Giving the headless Cog a final glance as it disappeared, he turned and ran after Rachel.

  


* * *

  


"Hyah!" Jason disabled a Cog with a swift tornado kick. The damaged robot staggered back a few steps, and Zack finished it with a solid punch to the middle.

"Yeowch!" The former Black Ranger rubbed his bruised fist and grinned sheepishly. He kept forgetting that the Cogs' metal armoring was a lot tougher than clay.

There weren't many Cogs left, but it was slow going for the five ex-Rangers without their powers. It took a lot just to damage the robots, and several hard hits to destroy them.

The Yellow Rangers worked together, taking down one attacker after another. Once Trini had knocked a Cog down by sweeping its stance, Aisha would dart in and tear a handful of wiring from the fallen robot.

Kimberly was surrounded. Her tactic of going for the Cogs' exposed wiring had worked for a while, but the bunch she was facing now seemed a bit smarter. She couldn't get a clear strike to their shoulders, and none of her other moves were having much effect.

"Need a hand?" inquired Jason, as he kicked a Cog away from Kim's back. He picked her up by the waist and swung her around, knocking down several of the Cogs.

"Thanks for the lift!" said Kim as Jason set her back down. She backflipped away from him and stanced several yards away.

"All right, you tin cans, come and get me!" A Cog on the outer edge of the fray looked up to see the solitary figure in pink. It rushed the undefended girl, who smoothly locked its arm and threw it. She planted her foot firmly in the Cog's back, holding it down as she tore the wiring free.

Moving to music only he could hear, Zack hip-hopped up to a Cog and spun to kick it. His kick missed the Cog's torso, but instead hit it in the arm, nearly breaking off the appendage. "Hey, thanks for the hand!" Zack grabbed his opponent's wrist and turned sharply. In one swift motion, he tore the robot's arm loose and smashed it down on another Cog. Both robots collapsed in a shower of sparks.

Trini tripped up yet another Cog, and Aisha descended on it with a triumphant smile. "Anybody call for an electrician?" A few seconds later, the unfortunate robot vanished. Aisha looked up in time to see one last Cog kicked into oblivion, courtesy of Jason. Then, only the five teenagers remained on the field.

"Whew! So much for the Cogs!" said the former Red Ranger. Trini and Aisha grinned as they caught their breath.

Zack took a moment to survey the area. Off to his right, he could just see the looming forms of CyberKitty and the Zeo Megazord, still embroiled in battle. On his left was the research clinic, and the village beyond it. As his gaze wandered over the village, Zack noticed a flash of movement in the doorway of the main community hut. "Whoa… what's that?"

Kimberly bounded up beside him, and squinted in the direction of the village. "What's what?" she asked, puzzled.

"Over there…" Zack trailed off as he pointed to the hut. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he could have sworn he'd seen _something._

Aisha shrugged. "Probably one of the villagers."

Jason frowned. Aisha was probably right. He had a funny feeling, though… and if he and Zack _both_ thought something was up… "We'd better check it out," he said.

The five teens headed down to the village at a quick jog.

  


* * *

  


Rachel backed up slowly as a pair of Cogs advanced on her. There was no way around them, and she could see now that running inside had been a mistake. Her mind was racing, but no options presented themselves. The Cogs kept approaching, forcing her farther and farther back until she could feel the rough straw of the hut's wall poking her through her T-shirt. If she hadn't been so frightened, she might actually have laughed at the sheer insanity of being cornered in a round hut.

"Rachel?"

She looked up expectantly as she heard someone outside calling her name. "Rachel, are you in he—" Billy dashed into the hut, stopping short when he saw the Cogs. "Hey!"

Both Cogs turned at Billy's shout, and Rachel seized her opportunity. Turning toward the Cog on the right, she kicked it in the rear as hard as she could. The robot toppled forward, and Rachel tried to dart away. Unfortunately, the other Cog had been alerted by the noise, and it caught her around the waist.

"Hey, let me go!" she yelled, kicking and struggling in the robot's grasp. Billy started forward to help her, but was intercepted by the other Cog. Two more of the robots appeared behind him, cutting him off from the exit. "Rachel, the wiring!" he shouted.

Rachel reached blindly back and clawed desperately at her captor's neck. Before she managed to do any damage, though, it grabbed her arms and pinned them down to her sides.

At the same time, the other three Cogs made their move on Billy. He instinctively reached out for the blue flame, but there was nothing for it to draw on. He was on his own. He lashed out at the Cogs behind him and managed to sweep one's stance, but then the one Rachel had kicked fired its eyebeams at him. Billy rolled to avoid the energy blast and ended up crouched against the wall.

"Something tells me that was a really bad idea," he muttered, as he looked up to see the Cog looming over him.

Rachel watched helplessly from across the room as the robot fired at Billy again. Its second blast didn't miss, and Billy cried out in pain as the bolt of energy struck him. Dazed, he crumpled to the ground, and looked close to losing consciousness. Rachel struggled desperately against the Cog that held her, knowing there was no way she could break free in time to help Billy.

The Cog took another step toward the semiconscious teen.

"Leave him alone, junk pile!"

Rachel and all the Cogs looked up to see Trini, Jason, Aisha, Zack, and Kimberly standing in the doorway.

Trini's dark eyes flashed with pure fury, and she ran straight for the Cog that had attacked Billy. Abandoning anything that might be called 'technique,' she tackled the robot to the ground and tore viciously into its shoulder.

While Jason and Zack faced off with the other two Cogs, Kim and Aisha ran for Rachel. Kim attacked Rachel's captor from its left, forcing it to loosen its grip on its prisoner in order to defend itself. Then, Aisha sent it sprawling with a flying side kick from the right. Kimberly picked up a medium-sized rock from the fire pit in the center of the hut, and brought it down on the fallen Cog's neck with a metallic crash. It shorted out and vanished as Aisha helped Rachel up.

"That was some close call, girl!"

Rachel heaved a sigh of relief. "You're telling me!" Jason and Zack quickly disposed of the remaining Cogs, and everyone gathered around Trini, who was cradling Billy in her lap.

"Is he all right?" Kim asked worriedly.

"Unnnhhh… E equals mc squared," Billy mumbled, his eyes half-closed.

Jason laughed. "I think he'll be just fine."

  


* * *

  


In the open savanna outside the village, the Zeo Rangers and CyberKitty were finding themselves a pretty even match. Both had held the upper hand at various times, but after several minutes of combat, neither had gained a clear advantage.

Tommy was beginning to get uneasy. He liked to keep Zord battles short because of the damage they caused and the risk to civilians… and, of course, he hadn't forgotten what cost them the ThunderZords two years earlier.

As if reading Tommy's mind, CyberKitty neatly sidestepped a kick from the Megazord and stepped back. "All right, no more pussyfooting around!" The lion-monster let out a grating, metallic roar, and a shock wave of sonic energy slammed into the Megazord like a freight train. CyberKitty laughed as the robot stumbled to the ground.

"Two can play that game!" Rocky shouted angrily as the Megazord righted itself. "Zeo Three battle helmet, power up!"

"I don't think a new hat is going to do you much good, Rangers!" CyberKitty said with a scornful laugh.

"We'll just see about that," replied Zeo Ranger Three, punching a button. A powerful tractor beam emanated from the pyramid-shaped battle helmet, knocking the monster several hundred feet backwards.

"Oh, so you wanna play rough, huh?" CyberKitty got up and charged headlong at the Megazord.

"Oh, don't make me laugh," Kat scorned, rolling her eyes. The blue beam of energy engulfed CyberKitty and lifted it high into the air, then dropped it. Again and again, the helpless monster was bashed into the ground, until it lay in a limp heap at the Megazord's feet.

"Let's finish this," said Adam. He knew Rocky tended to get somewhat pyramid-happy, and he could well imagine the earthquake the village must be going through as a result.

Tommy nodded. "Right. Back to Warrior Mode!" The Zeo Five battle helmet slid back into position, and Tommy resumed his normal post at the main console.

"Zeo Megazord Saber, now!" he ordered.

Somehow, even lying on the ground and faced with the Megazord's mightiest weapon, CyberKitty managed to retain its sarcasm. "Ooh, I'm real scared," it jeered.

"You should be," Adam shot back as the saber powered up.

"You're going back to your cage, CyberKitty!" said Tommy. The glowing saber sliced downward in a great arc, cleaving the monster from left shoulder to right hip. It let out a roar of agony and exploded into a million flaming chunks that disappeared before they hit the ground.

"Yeah!" the Rangers cheered, and exchanged high-fives as the light from the explosion faded.

"I just hope C.C. is really all right," said Tanya with concern.

"Yeah," agreed Kat, "and I hope the others didn't have too much trouble with the Cogs."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Tommy. He keyed the exit code, and the Zeo Rangers vanished in five streaks of light.

  


* * *

  


Queen Machina watched disbelievingly as the victorious Power Rangers demorphed and joined their friends in the village. How they had managed to defeat her mighty CyberKitty was beyond her comprehension.

Machina's disbelief turned to fury when she spotted Billy among the group of humans. He smiled wearily at some comment, and the Queen nearly broke her fan in rage. The young genius looked somewhat battered, but he was _alive,_ blast it! The Cogs had failed again!

Just when the Queen thought she couldn't get any angrier, a small golden-brown creature appeared in the edge of the viewer. It was quickly snatched up in the arms of the smiling Pink Ranger, and soon the confused little lion cub was being petted and fussed over by the entire crowd of young people.

"Noooo!" Machina shrieked. "I can't believe this! Not only did the Rangers defeat my glorious monster and save their friend, but they saved their disgusting pet, too?!"

She rounded suddenly on Klank, who had the unfortunate luck to be standing nearby. "This was _your_ idea, Klank! You said the Rangers wouldn't even touch it! You said it would be unstoppable!"

"Ah, I'm afraid ye'll have to excuse me, Yer Majesty," Klank said quickly. "I believe they're a-needin' me in the recyclin' center." He bolted from the room.

"_Klank!"_ Machina screamed after him. "Get back here, you mutinous rust-bucket!"

"Watch your oil pressure, dear!" a voice admonished. Machina whirled at the voice and saw Mondo standing in a nearby doorway. The Machine King chuckled at his near-perfect imitation of his wife.

"Why, you… Ooh!" Machina stamped a foot angrily, then turned on her heel and left the room in a huff.

"I see I didn't miss much." King Mondo crossed the room and gazed down at the cloud-swirled Earth below… the planet that had once again slipped through his grasp. One day, he swore, that planet would be his.


	11. Once a Ranger...

Thousands of stars sparkled in the velvety black sky of a warm, clear African night. The sound of drums and a faint flicker of firelight came from the community hut, where the Peace Tour delegates were enjoying dinner on their last night in the village.

A short distance away, near the research clinic, a large campfire blazed invitingly. With Billy out of danger, the Rangers had finally been able to relax and enjoy what Zack had dubbed "the class reunion." Aisha and Tanya had prepared a traditional meal, which the Rangers and Rachel enjoyed as they sat talking around the campfire.

Billy remained rather quiet during supper, only occasionally joining in the conversation. Adam and Trini, seated on either side of him, took this as a cue to be worried. Though Billy insisted he felt fine, the pair had remained a bit overprotective of him since the Cog attack.

After a while, their conversation lapsed altogether, leaving the three to their own thoughts. Adam let his gaze wander around the campfire, taking in the other Rangers' activities.

On his right, Rocky and Zack were embroiled in an eating contest, much to the amusement — and amazement — of Jason and Rachel. The Green Ranger chuckled softly as the boys wolfed down what had to be their fourth or fifth helpings of stew.

Nearby sat Tommy and Kim, holding each other close as they gazed into the fire. As always, they looked perfect together. Kimberly's slim, tanned shoulders fit into the strong curve of Tommy's arm as though they'd been made for it, and her head rested against his shoulder in quiet contentment. Tommy's expression, too, was one of complete peace, and his hand played unconsciously with a lock of Kim's soft auburn hair. Adam felt a pang of sympathy for the couple — he knew that parting ways in the morning would be difficult for them.

Katherine, Aisha, and Tanya sat together on the left. Both Yellow Rangers were dressed in traditional African costume, and they were deep in conversation. They'd spent most of the afternoon sharing the details of their new lives and getting to know each other as teenagers.

Kat was only half paying attention to her friends. Her sapphirine eyes were directed across the fire, fixed intently on Tommy and Kim. Adam wondered about that for a moment, but the Pink Ranger's expression was typically unreadable.

Adam's reverie was interrupted as Billy stood and excused himself from the group.

"Are you okay?" asked Trini, immediately concerned.

"I just have something I need to take care of," he said vaguely. "I'll be back, it shouldn't take long."

Without further explanation, he walked off in the direction of the clinic. Adam watched as his friend left the circle of firelight and faded into the darkness beyond. "What was that all about?" he wondered after a moment.

Trini frowned. "I don't know." Billy had seemed preoccupied all evening, and it bothered her. After a few moments of indecision, she stood. "I'm going to go see what he's up to."

She vanished into the shadows, leaving Adam gazing thoughtfully after her.

  


* * *

  


Billy stood alone in the darkness, listening to the cries of animals and his friends' distant laughter. It was a warm, living night, so different from the cold, silent blackness he'd been recently trapped in, and for a few moments, he simply stood and enjoyed it. He'd been told the savanna was unsafe after nightfall, but he seriously doubted he had survived being nearly blown up in a starship, cryogenically frozen, and beaten up by Cogs just so he could be eaten by some rabid elephant.

He would have liked just to stand there all night, but he had come with a purpose… a question that had been nagging him all day. It was time to get some answers.

From the pocket of his jeans, he took out a small device he'd borrowed from the clinic: Aisha's communicator. Pressing the 'transmit' button, he was rewarded by a soft beep.

"Billy calling the Power Chamber," he spoke into the device.

"Aye-yi-yi! It's so good to hear from you, Billy!"

"Thanks, Alpha," Billy replied. "It's good to be back."

"How are you feeling?"

Billy smiled at the little robot's familiar, worried tone. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. "Not precisely nominal," he admitted, "but getting there. Can I talk to Zordon?"

"Yes, Billy, I read you." Zordon's deep voice sounded tinny through the small speaker. "May I say that it is a great relief to have you safely back with us."

"Thanks," Billy replied sincerely, before lapsing into an uneasy silence.

"Was there something you wished to discuss, Billy?" Zordon prodded gently.

"Actually, yes." He hesitated for a moment, then finally began, "I've been seeing something… or sensing it, I suppose… and I wondered if you could tell me anything about it." He paused again and continued, "I've been seeing a light. A small, blue light like the flame of a candle, inside me. It started back on the ship, and it's been with me ever since. I've seen others, too… all of the Rangers, even the ones who left, have their colors inside them. Even Rachel has a light with her, and she's not even a Ranger."

"Not in this Universe, anyway…" Zordon mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Never mind."

"When I fought the Cogs," Billy continued, "I could feel the light getting brighter, and it kind of… it reminded me of the old Putty fights, when the Power helped us even though we didn't morph. And I know it should be impossible, but it really… felt like… the Blue Power."

There, it was said. Billy shuddered inwardly, imagining what Zordon must think of it… of him. He probably thought Billy's ordeal was causing some kind of hallucinations… or worse, that he wanted to be a Ranger again so badly that he was losing all touch with reality. The worst part was that he was probably right. Billy braced himself for the entity's reply.

"Your instincts are correct, Billy," Zordon said finally.

The teen exhaled in a rush, suddenly wishing he had somewhere to sit down. His momentary relief was quickly replaced by utter confusion, a feeling the young genius was totally unaccustomed to. "So… so it is the Blue Power?" he managed. "How is that possible? The Coins were destroyed…"

"The Power comes _through_ the Coins, Billy, not from them. They were merely tools, as is the Zeo Crystal. They serve to tap and focus the Power which is inherent in all life."

"Inherent?" Billy repeated in shock. He'd tried to prepare himself for all possible explanations, but this one hadn't even occurred to him. Was it really possible? Had he and his friends really possessed the Power before Zordon chose them?

"Yes," Zordon replied. If he sensed Billy's turmoil, he wasn't showing it. "The Power is the basic essence of all living things. Morphing through the Triceratops Coin aligned your energies with Blue and made them a part of the Morphing Grid, but the Power itself had always been there. That spark can never be taken from you."

It was little comfort. So what if he had the Power? The Morphing Grid had been shattered; the Power Coins destroyed… there was nothing left to connect him to the others. The blue flame still burned, but it burned alone. On the ship, that tiny flame had reassured and protected him… but now it was an all-too-painful reminder of the mighty blaze it had once been.

"Why am I seeing this now?" he asked Zordon.

"I would assume it is due to your traumatic experience," Zordon answered slowly.

For a moment, Billy didn't realize he meant the cryo-freeze. "Your past use of the Power made it instinctual for you to draw upon it in such a life-threatening time. What puzzles me, however, is that this awareness has remained with you."

"It's not normal?" Billy asked.

"In humans, it is very unusual. If you wish, I can perform some tests when you return to Angel Grove…"

"No," Billy decided. He sighed and gazed pensively at the starry sky. "It doesn't matter."

There was silence for a moment.

"If there is anything you wish to discuss, Billy…" Zordon hesitated for a moment. "… I will listen."

"Thanks, Zordon." Billy was honestly surprised. "That… that means a lot." He cleared his throat suddenly. "Um, I'll… I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Good night, Billy. Zordon out."

Billy closed the channel and stared up at the sky again, his mind a blur of conflicting emotions. A hyena chuckled in the distance.

"Hey," came a soft voice behind him. "Are you okay?"

Billy nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise. "Who's there?" Through the darkness, he discerned a graceful figure in a sleeveless white blouse and yellow jeans, with hair like a curtain of black silk falling over her shoulders.

"Trini." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry… I guess I'm a little jumpy."

"It was my fault," she replied, smiling. "I shouldn't have sneaked up on you like that." Her expression became serious after a moment. "How are you doing?"

Billy shrugged, with careful nonchalance. "I'm pretty tired, but other than that…"

"That's not what I mean."

He sighed and looked down. "Yeah, I know." He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from her.

Trini walked up behind him, and draped her arms around his neck in a gentle embrace. His temperature was still a little below normal, and he was wearing a thick navy and grey sweater that made her feel like she was hugging a teddy bear. Billy was surprised by her actions, but remained silent, staring at the stars again. It was too far away to see Aquitar, but there was its galaxy, looking no bigger than a star itself through the vast distance.

"Adam told me about the Zeo Crystal," Trini said, pulling his thoughts back down to Earth. Her breath was tickling his neck. "How come you never said anything?"

"I don't know." The truth was, he'd hardly kept in touch with her at all, and he wasn't sure why. It was just easier that way. Safer, somehow.

"I know it had to be tough on you," said Trini quietly. "It was really hard for us, after the transfer… it took us a while to get used to things."

Billy didn't reply.

"We used to stay up all night and just talk," Trini continued. "That was what helped the most… just talking about it, coming to terms with it. You just have to let it out."

Billy sighed. She made it sound so simple. Just share your problem, and it'll go away. The trouble was that talking about it would be doing just that: sharing the problem. Not fixing anything, not making him feel better, just making everyone else miserable. He wouldn't do it.

"Billy?" His silence worried her. Trini stepped around in front of him so that she could see his face. "Billy, what's wrong? Why won't you just talk to us?"

Silence.

"Are you worried about hurting our feelings?"

God, how did she figure these things out?

"You don't need to be, you know. We're all your friends… we'll understand."

"It… it wasn't their fault," Billy whispered finally. "I don't want anyone to feel guilty."

Trini chose her next words slowly and carefully. "I wasn't there, Billy. You _can't_ make me feel guilty about it. So if you need to talk… I'll listen."

Billy allowed himself a slight smile. "That's what Zordon said."

"Zordon cares about you," Trini said seriously. "We all do. Don't forget that."

"I won't."

Their eyes met with an intensity neither was familiar with, a gaze that was like a magnet locking them together. Not for the first time, Billy was deeply aware of Trini's beautiful silken hair, her creamy skin, her luminous almond-shaped eyes that seemed to look straight into his soul. She looked exactly the same as on the day she left.

He, on the other hand, had changed incredibly… and not just in appearance. Yet as Trini looked deeply into his crystal-green eyes, she could see a faint glimmer of the Billy she had known… the carefree, gentle spirit who was still there after all this time. Struggling under the weight of responsibility and loss, but still there, and staring out at her from his ancient eyes like a drowning child reaching for a lifeline.

An eternity passed as they stared at each other, invisible strings connecting and coaxing them together. It was Billy who finally ended the moment, drawing Trini into his arms in a tight embrace.

"I missed you," he whispered into her hair. "I miss the way things used to be."

Trini pulled back just enough to meet his eyes again. "Nothing ever changed," she said softly.

As she pulled him into another hug, Billy was faintly aware of the blue flame glowing inside him. It wasn't protecting him from some deadly threat or taunting him with his weaknesses… it was simply there. And it felt _right._ He'd seen that light as a second chance, a way to pick up where he'd left off. Maybe it _was_ where he'd left off.

"Once a Ranger, always a Ranger," Tommy had told him. A nice sentiment, he'd thought at the time, but that was all it was… just the standard consolation for a powerless teammate. But now… maybe it had meant something after all. Billy and his friends had been a team long before they became Power Rangers… there was no reason why the loss of those powers should break the team up. There was no reason for him to be alone. And as he stood there under the stars, holding Trini in his arms, he realized that he no longer wanted to be.

He'd returned to Earth… now it was time to really come home.


End file.
